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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,876 in Taby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,903 in Taby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,930 in Taby.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 33% less than in Taby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Taby is 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$13.04 SEK 126

-65.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$68.7 SEK 665

-32.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$10.52 SEK 102

-15.97%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.70 SEK 45.46

-34.89%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$3.28 SEK 31.76

-77.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$2.55 SEK 24.65

-84.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$7.19 SEK 69.6

-66.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$8.60 SEK 83.3

-56.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.72 SEK 16.61

31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.23 SEK 31.26

-43.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.05 SEK 39.24

-44.44%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$4.73 SEK 45.79

-52.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$13.00 SEK 126

50.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$11.85 SEK 115

-69.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$19.55 SEK 189

-33.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.59 SEK 34.79

-10.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.58 SEK 24.95

-37.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.56 SEK 15.09

52.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$4.55 SEK 44.09

-55.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.91 SEK 18.54

-19.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.85 SEK 17.94

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$2.63 SEK 25.50

-62.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.61 SEK 15.59

-67.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$7.49 SEK 72.5

-40.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$12.47 SEK 121

46.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.71 SEK 16.60

8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.38 SEK 23.03

12.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$4.15 SEK 40.20

-66.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$104 SEK 1,010

-88.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$6.27 SEK 60.7

-50.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.22 SEK 11.85

-14.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$21.47 SEK 208

-34.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.93 SEK 18.65

-32.12%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$32.9K SEK 318.2K

-15.37%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$33.8K SEK 327.0K

-1.64%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$91.4 SEK 885

33.95%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$29.59 SEK 286

-54.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$37.81 SEK 366

-50.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$47.86 SEK 463

26.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$25.81 SEK 250

-34.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$18.17 SEK 176

-50.08%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$165 SEK 1,597

328.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,166 SEK 40.3K

279.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$106 SEK 1,031

-45.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$43.23 SEK 419

-18.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$118 SEK 1,140

-1.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$158 SEK 1,528

-46.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$846 SEK 8,190

-26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$644 SEK 6,236

-30.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,415 SEK 13.7K

44.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,070 SEK 10.4K

39.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$6,100 SEK 59.1K

-42.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$7,212 SEK 69.8K

-64.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$3,431 SEK 33.2K

-85.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.16

28.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Taby: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $846 in Taby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taby pays 586% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $69.0 in Taby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $382 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 586% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $846 in Taby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $165 in Taby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Taby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,876 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 50% less than in Taby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.