Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,635 in Varberg, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Varberg
Learn more

Varberg Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Varberg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Varberg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Varberg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,635 in Varberg.

Phuket $1,278
Varberg $1,635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,623 in Varberg.

Phuket $2,216
Varberg $2,623

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,610 in Varberg.

Phuket $3,154
Varberg $3,610

Living in Phuket costs roughly 22% less than in Varberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Varberg is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$15.35 SEK 152

-70.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$76.3 SEK 758

-57.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.20 SEK 101

-13.63%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.83 SEK 38.04

-26.11%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.19 SEK 11.82

-26.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.02 SEK 10.13

-51.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$6.18 SEK 61.4

-58.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.42 SEK 73.7

-50.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.43 SEK 14.17

16.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$2.96 SEK 29.43

-50.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.44 SEK 34.16

-56.40%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.13 SEK 41.00

-49.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$12.77 SEK 127

49.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.88 SEK 108

-69.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$19.85 SEK 197

-45.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.97 SEK 29.50

-1.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$2.53 SEK 25.10

-33.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.95 SEK 29.25

-23.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.21 SEK 41.80

-50.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.47 SEK 14.59

2.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.49 SEK 14.75

-7.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$2.53 SEK 25.15

-57.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.97 SEK 9.65

-46.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.77 SEK 67.3

-37.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.24 SEK 102

83.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.07 SEK 20.54

-12.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.18 SEK 11.71

140.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$2.94 SEK 29.15

-50.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$77.8 SEK 773

-27.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$4.93 SEK 49.01

-38.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$2.41 SEK 23.89

-57.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$49.63 SEK 493

-92.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.81 SEK 18.01

-18.78%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$33.0K SEK 327.6K

-18.82%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$33.6K SEK 333.5K

-20.53%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$141 SEK 1,400

-31.64%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$19.92 SEK 198

-43.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$29.69 SEK 295

-43.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$40.37 SEK 401

66.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$40.39 SEK 401

-73.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$15.84 SEK 157

-52.65%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$149 SEK 1,477

219.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$3,455 SEK 34.3K

225.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$70.9 SEK 704

-12.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$40.23 SEK 400

-29.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$108 SEK 1,077

-13.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$149 SEK 1,479

-42.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$798 SEK 7,926

-10.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$495 SEK 4,916

-0.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,221 SEK 12.1K

57.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$915 SEK 9,087

56.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$6,532 SEK 64.9K

-36.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$3,568 SEK 35.4K

-14.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$3,103 SEK 30.8K

-83.82%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Varberg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Varberg

$495 30.3% 0.8% $4.1

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Varberg

$352 21.5% 32.1% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Varberg

$191 11.7% 53.1% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Varberg

$166 10.1% 36% $44

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Varberg

$254 15.5% 109% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Varberg

$72 4.4% 12.4% $10

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Varberg

$107 6.5% 50.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $798 in Varberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varberg pays about 6.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $76 in Varberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $352 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇪 Varberg

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

15:53 3:53 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

27,602

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.93 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.05 SEK (100 SEK = 9.05 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Varberg 9,040 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Varberg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $798 in Varberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $149 in Varberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,635 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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 22% less than in Varberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.