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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,671 in Varberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,673 in Varberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $3,675 in Varberg.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 24% less than in Varberg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Varberg is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$15.62 SEK 151

-70.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$79.9 SEK 774

-59.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$10.59 SEK 103

-18.04%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.90 SEK 37.85

-25.64%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.23 SEK 11.90

-31.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.12 SEK 10.81

-56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$6.35 SEK 61.6

-60.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$7.90 SEK 76.6

-52.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.55 SEK 15.04

21.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$3.07 SEK 29.80

-54.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$3.52 SEK 34.15

-53.98%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$4.33 SEK 41.99

-48.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$13.25 SEK 128

49.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$11.64 SEK 113

-70.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$20.42 SEK 198

-44.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.19 SEK 30.94

-9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.60 SEK 25.19

-33.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$3.15 SEK 30.58

-27.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$4.37 SEK 42.33

-51.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.55 SEK 15.02

-5.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.62 SEK 15.66

-12.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$2.65 SEK 25.72

-58.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.02 SEK 9.91

-41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$7.11 SEK 68.9

-39.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$10.47 SEK 102

77.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.10 SEK 20.35

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.27 SEK 12.29

133.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$2.97 SEK 28.81

-24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$81.6 SEK 791

-71.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$5.31 SEK 51.5

-41.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.53 SEK 24.50

-57.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$51.5 SEK 499

-92.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.81 SEK 17.53

-20.99%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$34.3K SEK 332.8K

-19.06%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$35.2K SEK 340.8K

-23.26%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$146 SEK 1,411

-28.01%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$20.72 SEK 201

-45.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$30.78 SEK 298

-43.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$41.70 SEK 404

30.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$41.46 SEK 402

-72.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$16.46 SEK 160

-52.73%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$159 SEK 1,544

261.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

222.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$74.0 SEK 718

-14.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$41.00 SEK 397

-29.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$113 SEK 1,093

-14.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$159 SEK 1,544

-43.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$844 SEK 8,185

-13.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$529 SEK 5,130

-5.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,244 SEK 12.1K

70.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$950 SEK 9,211

31.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$6,747 SEK 65.4K

-47.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$3,577 SEK 34.7K

-26.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$3,274 SEK 31.7K

-84.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.9

193.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Varberg: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $844 in Varberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varberg pays 545% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $80.0 in Varberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $368 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 545% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $844 in Varberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $159 in Varberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Varberg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,671 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 32% less than in Varberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.