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 $1,810 in Varberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,840 in Varberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,870 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

$4.56 ฿150

$13.96 SEK 132

-67.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$84.2 SEK 799

-44.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$9.95 SEK 94.4

-14.87%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$4.23 SEK 40.12

-28.37%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$0.92 SEK 8.74

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.91 SEK 8.68

-59.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$7.79 SEK 73.8

-68.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$8.08 SEK 76.7

-54.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.52 SEK 14.40

43.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$3.12 SEK 29.59

-39.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$3.51 SEK 33.27

-37.32%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$4.41 SEK 41.83

-49.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$12.15 SEK 115

64.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$11.51 SEK 109

-68.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$20.97 SEK 199

-36.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$3.39 SEK 32.10

-4.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$2.90 SEK 27.48

-41.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$3.29 SEK 31.23

-27.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$4.98 SEK 47.19

-58.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$1.55 SEK 14.74

2.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$1.89 SEK 17.96

-21.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$2.49 SEK 23.64

-58.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$1.18 SEK 11.22

-55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$7.35 SEK 69.7

-42.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$10.61 SEK 101

77.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$2.07 SEK 19.62

-14.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.26 SEK 11.92

119.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$2.93 SEK 27.77

-53.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$74.8 SEK 709

-84.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$5.24 SEK 49.69

-40.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$2.65 SEK 25.14

-60.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$56.3 SEK 534

-75.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$1.99 SEK 18.91

-32.66%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$32.3K SEK 305.8K

-14.19%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$34.3K SEK 325.0K

-1.20%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$157 SEK 1,491

-21.42%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$21.27 SEK 202

-36.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$31.22 SEK 296

-40.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$41.03 SEK 389

50.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$25.33 SEK 240

-31.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$16.62 SEK 158

-45.01%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$161 SEK 1,526

336.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$4,144 SEK 39.3K

283.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$90.2 SEK 855

-34.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$42.45 SEK 402

-17.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$98.2 SEK 931

17.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$155 SEK 1,474

-45.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$834 SEK 7,911

-25.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$653 SEK 6,195

-33.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$1,413 SEK 13.4K

45.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$1,093 SEK 10.4K

38.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$6,916 SEK 65.6K

-47.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$3,720 SEK 35.3K

-29.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$3,323 SEK 31.5K

-84.74%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Varberg: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $834 in Varberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varberg pays 555% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $84.0 in Varberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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, Varberg earns 555% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $834 in Varberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 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 $1,810 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.