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: $1,224 in Phuket versus $1,909 in Tumba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,035 in Phuket versus $2,894 in Tumba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,846 in Phuket versus $3,879 in Tumba.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 36% less than in Tumba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 9% below, Tumba is 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿151

$14.13 SEK 140

-67.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.04 ฿1,069

$65.1 SEK 646

-50.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.73 ฿291

$10.15 SEK 101

-13.99%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿93.6

$4.33 SEK 42.91

-35.33%

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

$0.83 ฿27.71

$2.73 SEK 27.10

-69.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.25

$2.16 SEK 21.41

-78.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.1

$7.20 SEK 71.4

-66.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.24 SEK 71.8

-47.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿59.7

$1.70 SEK 16.86

5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$3.04 SEK 30.12

-51.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$3.80 SEK 37.70

-60.00%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿71.0

$5.03 SEK 49.84

-57.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.41 ฿648

$12.80 SEK 127

51.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 ฿113

$12.98 SEK 129

-73.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 ฿370

$17.14 SEK 170

-35.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.19 SEK 31.63

-6.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.3

$2.73 SEK 27.06

-39.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.01 SEK 19.96

12.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.8

$4.47 SEK 44.34

-51.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.6

$1.45 SEK 14.40

4.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.61

$1.73 SEK 17.20

-22.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.51

$2.25 SEK 22.33

-50.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.85 SEK 18.34

-70.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 ฿149

$7.04 SEK 69.8

-36.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿627

$10.29 SEK 102

82.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.3

$2.02 SEK 20.05

-11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.35 SEK 23.29

20.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 ฿77.6

$4.37 SEK 43.33

-46.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.09 ฿771

$103 SEK 1,017

-77.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$5.97 SEK 59.2

-49.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.34

$1.50 SEK 14.85

-31.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$57.2 SEK 567

-93.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.28

$1.76 SEK 17.47

-17.61%

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

$27.4K ฿915.3K

$33.4K SEK 331.1K

-17.87%

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

$27.3K ฿912.3K

$32.9K SEK 325.9K

-16.84%

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

$101 ฿3,378

$180 SEK 1,786

-43.80%

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

$11.07 ฿369

$21.87 SEK 217

-49.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.06 ฿569

$47.36 SEK 470

-63.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ฿1,778

$40.85 SEK 405

30.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.88 ฿363

$28.65 SEK 284

-62.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.56 ฿252

$16.54 SEK 164

-54.29%

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

$552 ฿18.4K

$160 SEK 1,586

244.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.3K

$5,015 SEK 49.7K

129.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 ฿2,108

$112 SEK 1,107

-43.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿954

$54.4 SEK 539

-47.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 ฿3,253

$95.8 SEK 949

1.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 ฿2,926

$191 SEK 1,896

-54.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ฿24.6K

$804 SEK 7,976

-8.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 ฿16.0K

$578 SEK 5,735

-16.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,065 ฿68.9K

$1,520 SEK 15.1K

35.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 ฿41.2K

$988 SEK 9,791

24.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,556 ฿118.7K

$3,551 SEK 35.2K

0.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,534 ฿84.6K

$2,923 SEK 29.0K

-13.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿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: September 21, 2026

Last update for Tumba: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $736 in Phuket and $804 in Tumba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $65.0 in Tumba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $375 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 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,836 in Phuket and $2,864 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: $736 in Phuket versus $804 in Tumba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $552 in Phuket versus $160 in Tumba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Tumba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,224 in Phuket versus $1,909 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 56% less than in Tumba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.