Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taby Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,190 in Taby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $3,162 in Taby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $4,133 in Taby.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 43% less than in Taby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 9% below, Taby is 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$14.60 SEK 140

-68.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$66.5 SEK 636

-50.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$10.28 SEK 98.3

-13.42%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$4.39 SEK 41.99

-36.22%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ฿28.93

$3.54 SEK 33.89

-75.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$2.51 SEK 24.00

-80.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$7.52 SEK 71.9

-68.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$9.47 SEK 90.6

-60.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.71 SEK 16.39

4.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$3.29 SEK 31.43

-56.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$3.98 SEK 38.08

-60.30%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$5.19 SEK 49.64

-58.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$13.18 SEK 126

51.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$13.65 SEK 131

-74.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$18.20 SEK 174

-37.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$3.40 SEK 32.51

-13.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.72 SEK 26.02

-36.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.03 SEK 19.43

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$4.73 SEK 45.25

-56.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$1.85 SEK 17.66

-20.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.80 SEK 17.27

-24.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$2.42 SEK 23.12

-54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$1.96 SEK 18.76

-70.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$7.49 SEK 71.6

-42.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$12.65 SEK 121

45.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$2.05 SEK 19.57

-8.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.30 SEK 21.96

26.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$4.47 SEK 42.73

-50.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$107 SEK 1,026

-78.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$6.18 SEK 59.1

-50.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$1.54 SEK 14.71

-30.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$57.9 SEK 554

-93.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.90 SEK 18.15

-21.58%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$33.8K SEK 322.9K

-19.64%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$33.5K SEK 320.7K

-18.13%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$103 ฿3,379

$183 SEK 1,746

-43.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.99 ฿361

$27.00 SEK 258

-59.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$40.92 SEK 391

-57.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$17.44 SEK 167

-57.11%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$557 ฿18.3K

$173 SEK 1,653

222.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$17.4K SEK 166.1K

-31.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$103 SEK 988

-37.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$55.5 SEK 531

-47.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$98.4 SEK 941

-2.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$197 SEK 1,888

-54.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$1,031 SEK 9,861

-29.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$886 SEK 8,475

-43.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,438 SEK 13.8K

45.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$1,247 SEK 11.9K

-3.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$6,207 SEK 59.4K

-42.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$7,277 SEK 69.6K

-65.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$3,440 SEK 32.9K

-85.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.2

74.06%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Taby: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $1,031 in Taby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taby pays 583% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $67.0 in Taby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $397 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Taby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 583% lower in Taby. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $1,031 in Taby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $173 in Taby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Taby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,190 in Taby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Taby. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Taby, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Taby are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Taby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.