Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vasteras Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vasteras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,726 in Vasteras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,721 in Vasteras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $3,716 in Vasteras.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 27% less than in Vasteras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Vasteras is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$14.54 SEK 138

-69.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$68.1 SEK 647

-33.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$10.47 SEK 99.5

-16.33%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$4.48 SEK 42.53

-33.71%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$2.69 SEK 25.52

-74.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.52 SEK 23.97

-84.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$7.42 SEK 70.5

-65.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$7.26 SEK 68.9

-48.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.53 SEK 14.56

40.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.73 SEK 25.89

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.73 SEK 35.43

-41.55%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$4.05 SEK 38.49

-44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$12.04 SEK 114

66.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$12.29 SEK 117

-70.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$15.62 SEK 148

-13.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.32 SEK 31.53

-2.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.63 SEK 25.02

-37.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.61 SEK 34.28

-35.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$3.79 SEK 36.00

-45.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.50 SEK 14.29

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.01 SEK 19.09

-27.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.68 SEK 25.45

-63.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.76 SEK 16.70

-72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$7.18 SEK 68.2

-39.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$12.56 SEK 119

47.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.46 SEK 13.82

27.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.98 SEK 18.86

33.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$3.41 SEK 32.40

-58.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$73.7 SEK 700

-84.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.78 SEK 35.92

-16.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.59 SEK 15.10

-35.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$84.8 SEK 806

-83.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.99 SEK 18.86

-32.66%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$32.2K SEK 306.1K

-13.75%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$34.8K SEK 330.2K

-3.96%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$88.2 SEK 838

39.47%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$28.82 SEK 274

-52.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$36.67 SEK 348

-50.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$37.42 SEK 356

62.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$21.43 SEK 204

-19.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$19.82 SEK 188

-55.25%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$160 SEK 1,520

329.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$5,216 SEK 49.6K

202.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$95.9 SEK 911

-38.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$42.87 SEK 407

-19.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$92.3 SEK 877

24.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$125 SEK 1,183

-32.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$839 SEK 7,971

-25.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$597 SEK 5,673

-25.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,482 SEK 14.1K

37.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,133 SEK 10.8K

32.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$3,751 SEK 35.6K

-7.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,543 SEK 24.2K

-0.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,080 SEK 29.3K

-83.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.87

9.45%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $839 in Vasteras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vasteras pays 524% 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 $68.0 in Vasteras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $361 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 Vasteras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 524% lower in Vasteras. 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 $839 in Vasteras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $160 in Vasteras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Vasteras. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,726 in Vasteras, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vasteras. 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 Vasteras, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Vasteras 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 37% less than in Vasteras. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.