Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Uppsala Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Uppsala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,999 in Uppsala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,014 in Uppsala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,028 in Uppsala.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Uppsala is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$15.78 SEK 148

-70.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$69.9 SEK 656

-35.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$11.40 SEK 107

-26.05%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$5.00 SEK 47.00

-41.40%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$2.67 SEK 25.05

-74.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$2.19 SEK 20.56

-83.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$8.39 SEK 78.8

-71.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$8.66 SEK 81.4

-57.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.63 SEK 15.33

36.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$2.75 SEK 25.83

-33.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.53 SEK 42.59

-52.10%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$5.10 SEK 47.92

-56.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.89 SEK 112

66.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$13.97 SEK 131

-74.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$16.80 SEK 158

-19.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.74 SEK 35.09

-12.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.79 SEK 26.21

-42.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.57 SEK 33.51

-32.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$5.18 SEK 48.69

-59.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.58 SEK 14.82

-3.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.79 SEK 16.81

-17.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$2.63 SEK 24.72

-62.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.32 SEK 12.41

-61.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$8.14 SEK 76.4

-45.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$10.81 SEK 102

79.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.41 SEK 22.62

-26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.57 SEK 24.13

5.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$4.01 SEK 37.63

-65.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$109 SEK 1,023

-89.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$5.69 SEK 53.4

-46.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.19 SEK 11.17

-16.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$63.5 SEK 597

-77.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$2.01 SEK 18.84

-32.34%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$33.2K SEK 311.7K

-15.00%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.8K SEK 317.6K

-2.69%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$111 SEK 1,040

9.88%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$29.67 SEK 279

-54.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$43.81 SEK 412

-58.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$38.15 SEK 358

57.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$28.06 SEK 264

-38.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$19.76 SEK 186

-56.02%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$149 SEK 1,400

365.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$5,570 SEK 52.3K

181.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$88.7 SEK 833

-32.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$41.94 SEK 394

-17.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$98.7 SEK 927

16.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$157 SEK 1,471

-46.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$943 SEK 8,862

-35.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$755 SEK 7,087

-42.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,503 SEK 14.1K

39.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,075 SEK 10.1K

40.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$5,511 SEK 51.8K

-31.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,972 SEK 27.9K

-11.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$3,097 SEK 29.1K

-83.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.8

11.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Uppsala: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $943 in Uppsala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uppsala pays 509% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $70.0 in Uppsala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $387 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 Uppsala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Uppsala earns 509% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $943 in Uppsala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $149 in Uppsala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,999 in Uppsala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Uppsala. 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 Uppsala, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Uppsala 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 Uppsala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.