Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tumba Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tumba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,823 in Tumba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $2,826 in Tumba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $3,829 in Tumba.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Tumba is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$14.67 SEK 137

-69.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$67.3 SEK 630

-30.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$10.43 SEK 97.6

-18.60%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$4.56 SEK 42.65

-32.46%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$2.77 SEK 25.92

-75.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$2.40 SEK 22.45

-85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$7.49 SEK 70.1

-67.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$7.45 SEK 69.7

-51.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.79 SEK 16.79

22.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$3.18 SEK 29.76

-43.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$3.97 SEK 37.12

-43.83%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$4.03 SEK 37.68

-44.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$12.99 SEK 122

50.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$12.88 SEK 121

-71.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$15.95 SEK 149

-15.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$3.48 SEK 32.58

-3.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$2.57 SEK 24.01

-36.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.54 SEK 14.41

56.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$4.45 SEK 41.64

-55.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.50 SEK 14.03

2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.81 SEK 16.97

-19.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$2.61 SEK 24.39

-61.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.63 SEK 15.25

-70.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$7.43 SEK 69.5

-42.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$10.59 SEK 99.0

80.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.72 SEK 16.06

6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.91 SEK 17.85

43.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$4.56 SEK 42.65

-68.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$109 SEK 1,019

-89.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$6.17 SEK 57.7

-51.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.24 SEK 11.62

-15.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$20.80 SEK 195

-33.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.98 SEK 18.51

-34.85%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$32.8K SEK 306.5K

-14.43%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$34.0K SEK 317.7K

-1.35%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$90.2 SEK 844

35.20%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$28.47 SEK 266

-51.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$42.27 SEK 395

-55.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$43.41 SEK 406

41.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$25.07 SEK 235

-32.83%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$16.39 SEK 153

-45.76%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$145 SEK 1,360

375.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$4,105 SEK 38.4K

293.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$106 SEK 987

-45.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$43.81 SEK 410

-19.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$115 SEK 1,076

-1.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$159 SEK 1,484

-47.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$837 SEK 7,829

-27.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$648 SEK 6,063

-30.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$1,366 SEK 12.8K

48.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$1,069 SEK 10.0K

39.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$4,511 SEK 42.2K

-20.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$2,874 SEK 26.9K

-10.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Tumba: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $837 in Tumba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $67.0 in Tumba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $366 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 Tumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,835 in Phuket and $2,734 in Tumba to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $837 in Tumba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $145 in Tumba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Tumba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,823 in Tumba, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tumba. 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 Tumba, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tumba 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 49% less than in Tumba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.