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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,788 in Varnamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,849 in Varnamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,910 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 10% below, Varnamo is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$13.63 SEK 134

-67.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$94.6 SEK 932

-65.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$12.37 SEK 122

-27.81%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$4.93 SEK 48.62

-41.18%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.76 SEK 27.22

-68.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$2.23 SEK 21.94

-78.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$8.28 SEK 81.6

-71.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$7.34 SEK 72.4

-49.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.71 SEK 16.84

9.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.73 SEK 26.91

-46.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.92 SEK 38.63

-60.46%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$4.70 SEK 46.33

-55.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$13.11 SEK 129

49.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$12.30 SEK 121

-72.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$17.53 SEK 173

-35.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.13 SEK 30.89

-4.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$3.00 SEK 29.57

-44.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.89 SEK 28.44

-23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.68 SEK 46.08

-53.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.79 SEK 17.66

-15.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.49 SEK 14.70

-10.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.74 SEK 27.00

-58.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.60 SEK 15.81

-65.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$8.02 SEK 79.0

-46.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$11.67 SEK 115

63.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.03 SEK 19.96

-12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.79 SEK 27.45

-0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$3.41 SEK 33.57

-34.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$80.1 SEK 789

-71.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$5.14 SEK 50.6

-41.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.16 SEK 11.45

-12.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$43.03 SEK 424

-90.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.80 SEK 17.72

-17.22%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$34.1K SEK 336.2K

-22.09%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$34.4K SEK 338.5K

-21.31%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$81.5 SEK 803

25.79%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$32.13 SEK 317

-64.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$42.81 SEK 422

-59.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$39.50 SEK 389

31.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$26.42 SEK 260

-58.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$15.50 SEK 153

-50.39%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$165 SEK 1,628

239.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$5,125 SEK 50.5K

124.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$83.1 SEK 819

-24.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$60.5 SEK 596

-51.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$106 SEK 1,043

-7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$129 SEK 1,271

-31.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$844 SEK 8,319

-12.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$621 SEK 6,118

-22.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,410 SEK 13.9K

49.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,038 SEK 10.2K

18.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$4,235 SEK 41.7K

-14.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,859 SEK 28.2K

-8.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,104 SEK 20.7K

-76.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.03

83.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $844 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varnamo pays 326% 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 $95.0 in Varnamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $379 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 326% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $844 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $165 in Varnamo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Varnamo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,788 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 45% less than in Varnamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.