Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varberg Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varberg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,804 in Varberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $2,844 in Varberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $3,885 in Varberg.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 30% less than in Varberg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Varberg is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$13.56 SEK 132

-66.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$82.8 SEK 805

-44.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$10.03 SEK 97.4

-13.76%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$4.14 SEK 40.23

-25.36%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$0.97 SEK 9.46

-29.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$0.98 SEK 9.50

-62.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$8.07 SEK 78.3

-70.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$7.78 SEK 75.5

-51.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.57 SEK 15.26

38.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$3.05 SEK 29.58

-40.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$3.53 SEK 34.26

-38.24%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$4.33 SEK 42.06

-48.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$12.21 SEK 119

63.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$11.81 SEK 115

-69.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$21.19 SEK 206

-36.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$3.32 SEK 32.21

-0.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$2.93 SEK 28.43

-42.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$3.28 SEK 31.82

-28.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$4.74 SEK 46.05

-57.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.62 SEK 15.74

-1.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$1.95 SEK 18.95

-23.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$2.61 SEK 25.34

-61.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.15 SEK 11.16

-58.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$7.01 SEK 68.1

-36.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$10.37 SEK 101

79.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$2.07 SEK 20.11

-13.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$1.25 SEK 12.17

124.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$2.82 SEK 27.38

-49.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$73.0 SEK 709

-84.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$5.12 SEK 49.68

-39.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$2.55 SEK 24.73

-59.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$55.8 SEK 542

-75.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$1.93 SEK 18.78

-32.12%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$32.9K SEK 319.2K

-17.00%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$33.7K SEK 327.0K

-1.33%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$157 SEK 1,529

-21.75%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$20.83 SEK 202

-33.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$32.21 SEK 313

-42.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$40.62 SEK 395

48.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$25.23 SEK 245

-33.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$16.86 SEK 164

-47.27%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$161 SEK 1,564

326.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$4,058 SEK 39.4K

283.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$88.2 SEK 856

-34.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$41.66 SEK 405

-16.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$101 SEK 978

14.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$157 SEK 1,521

-45.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$836 SEK 8,120

-26.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$645 SEK 6,267

-31.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$1,380 SEK 13.4K

48.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$1,103 SEK 10.7K

36.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$6,638 SEK 64.5K

-46.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$3,652 SEK 35.5K

-31.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$3,197 SEK 31.0K

-84.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.9

180.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Varberg: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $836 in Varberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varberg pays 536% 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 $83.0 in Varberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $374 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 Varberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 536% lower in Varberg. 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: $618 in Phuket versus $836 in Varberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $161 in Varberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Varberg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,804 in Varberg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Varberg. 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 Varberg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Varberg 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 43% less than in Varberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.