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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,756 in Vasteras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,803 in Vasteras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,850 in Vasteras.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 28% less than in Vasteras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Vasteras is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$14.84 SEK 139

-69.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$67.4 SEK 632

-30.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$10.45 SEK 98.0

-18.95%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.64 SEK 43.48

-34.70%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.69 SEK 25.24

-74.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$2.43 SEK 22.76

-84.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$7.58 SEK 71.1

-67.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.19 SEK 67.5

-49.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.53 SEK 14.36

42.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.64 SEK 24.73

-28.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.94 SEK 36.93

-44.16%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.86 SEK 36.25

-42.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$11.82 SEK 111

69.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$12.52 SEK 117

-70.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$15.60 SEK 146

-15.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.20 SEK 30.02

0.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.67 SEK 25.03

-36.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.42 SEK 32.12

-30.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.59 SEK 33.64

-42.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.54 SEK 14.46

3.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.93 SEK 18.08

-23.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.78 SEK 26.05

-62.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.72 SEK 16.16

-69.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$7.36 SEK 69.0

-42.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$14.17 SEK 133

32.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.40 SEK 13.16

25.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.91 SEK 17.89

44.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$3.34 SEK 31.30

-59.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$74.0 SEK 694

-84.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.61 SEK 33.88

-13.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.61 SEK 15.08

-35.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$83.1 SEK 780

-83.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.92 SEK 18.03

-30.21%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$32.0K SEK 300.2K

-13.52%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$33.7K SEK 315.9K

0.56%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$89.5 SEK 839

38.17%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$28.80 SEK 270

-53.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$37.01 SEK 347

-49.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$37.46 SEK 351

65.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$20.96 SEK 197

-17.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$19.15 SEK 180

-52.27%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$159 SEK 1,489

342.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$5,190 SEK 48.7K

205.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$96.5 SEK 906

-38.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$41.49 SEK 389

-15.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$92.9 SEK 871

24.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$125 SEK 1,168

-32.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$832 SEK 7,800

-25.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$608 SEK 5,700

-28.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,465 SEK 13.7K

40.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,164 SEK 10.9K

29.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$3,807 SEK 35.7K

-4.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$2,599 SEK 24.4K

1.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$3,142 SEK 29.5K

-83.86%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $832 in Vasteras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vasteras pays 520% 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 $67.0 in Vasteras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Vasteras earns 520% 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 $832 in Vasteras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $159 in Vasteras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Vasteras. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,756 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 39% less than in Vasteras. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.