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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,841 in Varnamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,819 in Varnamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,796 in Varnamo.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 31% less than in Varnamo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Varnamo is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$12.64 SEK 119

-63.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$88.6 SEK 831

-47.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$11.82 SEK 111

-28.34%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.89 SEK 45.83

-38.04%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.90 SEK 27.24

-76.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$2.14 SEK 20.08

-82.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$8.11 SEK 76.1

-69.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.21 SEK 67.6

-49.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.61 SEK 15.06

35.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.21 SEK 20.77

-14.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.96 SEK 27.79

-25.68%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$4.44 SEK 41.61

-50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$13.09 SEK 123

52.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$11.54 SEK 108

-68.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$17.41 SEK 163

-23.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.17 SEK 29.70

1.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.89 SEK 27.10

-41.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.82 SEK 26.47

-15.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$4.31 SEK 40.44

-51.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.67 SEK 15.71

-4.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.58 SEK 14.86

-6.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.64 SEK 24.78

-60.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.28 SEK 12.02

-59.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$7.86 SEK 73.7

-45.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$11.90 SEK 112

57.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.94 SEK 18.22

-9.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.22 SEK 20.81

24.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$3.29 SEK 30.82

-58.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$73.2 SEK 687

-84.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$5.66 SEK 53.1

-44.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.57 SEK 24.09

-59.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$62.9 SEK 590

-78.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.95 SEK 18.25

-31.28%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$33.2K SEK 311.5K

-16.66%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$34.1K SEK 319.6K

-0.61%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$122 SEK 1,143

1.47%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$28.28 SEK 265

-52.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$41.20 SEK 387

-54.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$40.64 SEK 381

52.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$25.11 SEK 236

-31.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$17.74 SEK 166

-48.48%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$174 SEK 1,635

303.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,125 SEK 38.7K

284.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$78.6 SEK 737

-24.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$60.7 SEK 569

-42.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$104 SEK 977

10.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$131 SEK 1,225

-35.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$852 SEK 7,988

-27.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$645 SEK 6,047

-32.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,375 SEK 12.9K

49.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,070 SEK 10.0K

41.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$4,312 SEK 40.4K

-15.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$3,016 SEK 28.3K

-12.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$2,115 SEK 19.8K

-76.03%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $852 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varnamo pays 317% 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 $89.0 in Varnamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Varnamo earns 317% 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 $852 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $174 in Varnamo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Varnamo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,841 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 46% less than in Varnamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.