Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varnamo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varnamo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,803 in Varnamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,833 in Varnamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $3,863 in Varnamo.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Varnamo is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$12.77 SEK 121

-64.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$88.7 SEK 843

-48.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$11.98 SEK 114

-26.88%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$4.93 SEK 46.85

-39.76%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$2.87 SEK 27.24

-75.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.13 SEK 20.21

-81.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$8.03 SEK 76.3

-68.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$7.58 SEK 72.0

-50.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.60 SEK 15.25

34.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.16 SEK 20.55

-15.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.06 SEK 29.04

-28.76%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$4.62 SEK 43.84

-51.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$12.84 SEK 122

55.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$11.69 SEK 111

-68.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$17.16 SEK 163

-20.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.21 SEK 30.47

0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.87 SEK 27.22

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.89 SEK 27.45

-19.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$4.45 SEK 42.23

-53.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.74 SEK 16.49

-10.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.59 SEK 15.06

-8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.55 SEK 24.27

-61.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.24 SEK 11.82

-61.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$7.84 SEK 74.5

-44.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$11.27 SEK 107

64.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.03 SEK 19.29

-8.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.23 SEK 21.21

18.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$3.30 SEK 31.39

-56.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$73.4 SEK 697

-84.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$5.53 SEK 52.5

-42.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.53 SEK 24.08

-59.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$63.9 SEK 607

-78.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.97 SEK 18.69

-31.98%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$32.3K SEK 306.9K

-13.97%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$34.2K SEK 325.1K

-2.46%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$119 SEK 1,132

3.24%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$29.16 SEK 277

-52.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$40.96 SEK 389

-55.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$41.18 SEK 391

47.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$25.42 SEK 242

-32.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$18.14 SEK 172

-51.10%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$176 SEK 1,674

290.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,148 SEK 39.4K

280.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$81.4 SEK 774

-27.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$60.8 SEK 577

-42.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$104 SEK 991

10.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$128 SEK 1,217

-34.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$852 SEK 8,094

-27.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$665 SEK 6,320

-32.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,387 SEK 13.2K

46.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,098 SEK 10.4K

36.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$4,181 SEK 39.7K

-17.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,906 SEK 27.6K

-12.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,092 SEK 19.9K

-76.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.8

11.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $852 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varnamo pays 324% 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 $89.0 in Varnamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $355 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 Varnamo: 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 324% lower in Varnamo. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $852 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $176 in Varnamo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Varnamo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,803 in Varnamo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Varnamo. 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 Varnamo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Varnamo 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 Varnamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.