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: $1,242 in Phuket versus $1,960 in Tumba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $3,030 in Tumba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $4,099 in Tumba.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 37% less than in Tumba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Tumba is 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.60 ฿152

$14.56 SEK 138

-68.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.86 ฿1,151

$67.5 SEK 640

-48.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.57 ฿283

$10.63 SEK 101

-19.38%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ฿93.0

$4.40 SEK 41.65

-35.91%

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

$0.78 ฿25.69

$2.70 SEK 25.63

-71.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.71

$2.33 SEK 22.10

-79.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿80.0

$7.26 SEK 68.8

-66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿123

$7.43 SEK 70.4

-50.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿59.0

$1.80 SEK 17.09

-0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.40

$3.23 SEK 30.65

-56.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$3.96 SEK 37.51

-59.60%

Eggs

$2.20 ฿72.7

$5.17 SEK 48.96

-57.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.64 ฿649

$13.79 SEK 131

42.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.50 ฿116

$13.89 SEK 132

-74.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 ฿371

$17.63 SEK 167

-36.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 ฿94.5

$3.25 SEK 30.81

-12.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿55.6

$2.70 SEK 25.54

-37.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿76.2

$2.14 SEK 20.25

7.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿69.3

$4.71 SEK 44.64

-55.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.79

$1.56 SEK 14.80

-5.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.43

$1.88 SEK 17.79

-28.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.49

$2.39 SEK 22.61

-55.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ฿19.02

$1.96 SEK 18.56

-70.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$7.30 SEK 69.2

-40.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.67 ฿617

$10.62 SEK 101

75.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.0

$1.98 SEK 18.72

-9.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ฿91.6

$2.32 SEK 22.01

19.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 ฿72.2

$4.47 SEK 42.32

-51.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.98 ฿759

$108 SEK 1,023

-78.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿100

$6.11 SEK 57.9

-50.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿33.63

$1.53 SEK 14.49

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 ฿129

$60.8 SEK 576

-93.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.15

$1.84 SEK 17.43

-22.28%

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

$27.2K ฿898.5K

$34.4K SEK 325.5K

-20.79%

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

$26.9K ฿887.5K

$34.6K SEK 327.9K

-22.32%

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

$102 ฿3,375

$184 SEK 1,743

-44.46%

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

$10.95 ฿362

$23.04 SEK 218

-52.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.06 ฿563

$49.34 SEK 468

-65.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 ฿1,757

$41.85 SEK 397

27.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.11 ฿367

$28.69 SEK 272

-61.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 ฿258

$16.63 SEK 158

-52.98%

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

$552 ฿18.2K

$173 SEK 1,642

218.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K ฿377.4K

$5,213 SEK 49.4K

119.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,059

$119 SEK 1,132

-47.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.98 ฿957

$56.8 SEK 538

-48.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 ฿3,224

$98.9 SEK 937

-1.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 ฿2,917

$197 SEK 1,862

-55.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ฿24.6K

$732 SEK 6,932

1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 ฿15.9K

$570 SEK 5,399

-15.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 ฿69.7K

$1,468 SEK 13.9K

43.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 ฿39.5K

$941 SEK 8,913

27.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,579 ฿118.2K

$4,404 SEK 41.7K

-18.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,576 ฿85.1K

$3,164 SEK 30.0K

-18.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 ฿16.8K

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 3, 2026

Last update for Tumba: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Phuket and $732 in Tumba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $67.0 in Tumba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $392 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,863 in Phuket and $2,940 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: $746 in Phuket versus $732 in Tumba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $552 in Phuket versus $173 in Tumba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Tumba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,242 in Phuket versus $1,960 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 58% less than in Tumba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.