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 $1,814 in Varnamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,828 in Varnamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,842 in Varnamo.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Varnamo is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$12.57 SEK 117

-63.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$87.3 SEK 812

-46.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$12.19 SEK 113

-27.48%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$5.05 SEK 46.93

-40.59%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.84 SEK 26.38

-73.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.07 SEK 19.28

-82.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$8.00 SEK 74.4

-69.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$7.51 SEK 69.8

-51.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.60 SEK 14.90

41.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.13 SEK 19.83

-13.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.94 SEK 27.34

-23.81%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$4.44 SEK 41.29

-47.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$13.16 SEK 122

49.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$11.74 SEK 109

-68.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$16.83 SEK 157

-22.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.17 SEK 29.50

6.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.82 SEK 26.23

-41.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.77 SEK 25.75

-13.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.52 SEK 42.07

-55.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.69 SEK 15.69

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.59 SEK 14.83

-5.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.66 SEK 24.78

-61.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.28 SEK 11.89

-61.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$8.20 SEK 76.3

-45.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$12.22 SEK 114

54.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.02 SEK 18.80

-11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.25 SEK 20.91

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$3.48 SEK 32.36

-59.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$73.7 SEK 686

-84.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$5.61 SEK 52.2

-44.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.56 SEK 23.77

-60.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$63.8 SEK 593

-77.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.89 SEK 17.61

-28.57%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$32.7K SEK 303.8K

-16.78%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$34.1K SEK 316.8K

-3.35%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$123 SEK 1,141

1.83%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$29.26 SEK 272

-53.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$40.11 SEK 373

-53.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$41.27 SEK 384

48.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$24.88 SEK 231

-32.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$17.70 SEK 165

-48.08%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$179 SEK 1,664

290.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,165 SEK 38.7K

274.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$80.2 SEK 746

-27.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$61.0 SEK 567

-42.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$106 SEK 986

6.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$127 SEK 1,181

-31.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$833 SEK 7,743

-26.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$663 SEK 6,169

-32.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,377 SEK 12.8K

48.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,065 SEK 9,902

40.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$4,394 SEK 40.9K

-14.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$3,014 SEK 28.0K

-12.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$2,169 SEK 20.2K

-75.85%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $833 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varnamo pays 314% 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 $87.0 in Varnamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Varnamo earns 314% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $833 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $179 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 $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,814 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 47% less than in Varnamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.