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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,873 in Varberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $2,861 in Varberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $3,850 in Varberg.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 32% less than in Varberg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Varberg is 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$13.52 SEK 124

-65.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$85.8 SEK 789

-45.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$10.16 SEK 93.4

-14.57%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$4.10 SEK 37.70

-28.05%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.99 SEK 9.13

-29.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.98 SEK 8.99

-60.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$7.92 SEK 72.9

-68.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$7.89 SEK 72.5

-52.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.49 SEK 13.73

48.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$3.15 SEK 29.02

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$3.51 SEK 32.29

-37.61%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$4.45 SEK 40.90

-48.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$12.13 SEK 112

59.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$11.62 SEK 107

-67.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$21.32 SEK 196

-37.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$3.32 SEK 30.51

0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$2.83 SEK 26.00

-41.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$3.43 SEK 31.58

-33.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$4.81 SEK 44.24

-58.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.53 SEK 14.11

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.94 SEK 17.88

-22.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$2.52 SEK 23.17

-59.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$1.14 SEK 10.46

-55.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$7.21 SEK 66.4

-38.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$10.74 SEK 98.8

80.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$2.08 SEK 19.17

-13.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.30 SEK 11.96

106.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$2.93 SEK 26.99

-51.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$74.6 SEK 686

-84.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$5.32 SEK 48.97

-42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$2.56 SEK 23.55

-59.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$56.0 SEK 515

-75.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.92 SEK 17.65

-32.29%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$32.9K SEK 302.4K

-15.11%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$33.3K SEK 306.8K

-0.93%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$154 SEK 1,419

-20.28%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$21.13 SEK 194

-34.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$32.27 SEK 297

-41.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$41.09 SEK 378

48.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$25.52 SEK 235

-34.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$16.57 SEK 152

-46.47%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$156 SEK 1,432

347.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$4,124 SEK 37.9K

289.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$89.5 SEK 824

-33.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$41.66 SEK 383

-16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$101 SEK 925

12.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$160 SEK 1,468

-46.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$847 SEK 7,795

-27.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$664 SEK 6,109

-32.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$1,395 SEK 12.8K

49.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$1,089 SEK 10.0K

37.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$4,272 SEK 39.3K

-12.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$2,993 SEK 27.5K

-11.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$3,434 SEK 31.6K

-84.46%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Varberg: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $847 in Varberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varberg pays 544% 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 in Phuket vs $86 in Varberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $375 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 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Varberg earns 544% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $847 in Varberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $156 in Varberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Varberg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,873 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 48% less than in Varberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.