Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vaxjo

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,665 in Vaxjo, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Vaxjo
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Vaxjo Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Vaxjo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,665

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Vaxjo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Vaxjo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,665 in Vaxjo.

Phuket $1,278
Vaxjo $1,665

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,500 in Vaxjo.

Phuket $2,216
Vaxjo $2,500

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,335 in Vaxjo.

Phuket $3,154
Vaxjo $3,335

Living in Phuket costs roughly 23% less than in Vaxjo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Vaxjo is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.39 SEK 131

-66.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$66.2 SEK 650

-51.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.95 SEK 97.7

-11.46%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.04 SEK 39.61

-29.95%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$1.52 SEK 14.91

-42.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.32 SEK 12.93

-62.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$7.04 SEK 69.1

-63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.50 SEK 63.8

-43.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.71 SEK 16.74

-2.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$2.50 SEK 24.52

-41.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.88 SEK 38.04

-61.34%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.38 SEK 43.00

-52.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$13.31 SEK 131

43.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.59 SEK 104

-68.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.83 SEK 116

-7.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.28 SEK 32.14

-10.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.97 SEK 19.32

-14.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.00 SEK 19.58

12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.81 SEK 47.22

-56.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.42 SEK 13.91

6.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.53 SEK 14.99

-9.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$2.21 SEK 21.72

-51.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.37 SEK 13.47

-62.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$7.30 SEK 71.6

-42.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$7.54 SEK 74.0

149.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.91 SEK 18.78

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.64 SEK 16.12

73.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$3.16 SEK 30.99

-54.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$66.3 SEK 650

-14.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$8.00 SEK 78.5

-62.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.96 SEK 19.20

-47.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$80.0 SEK 785

-95.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.68 SEK 16.44

-12.50%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$33.4K SEK 327.8K

-19.84%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$32.7K SEK 320.9K

-18.39%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$88.9 SEK 872

8.43%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$29.71 SEK 292

-62.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$30.34 SEK 298

-44.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$35.47 SEK 348

89.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$20.40 SEK 200

-47.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$16.15 SEK 159

-53.56%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$153 SEK 1,504

210.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$100 SEK 986

-37.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$29.84 SEK 293

-4.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$71.5 SEK 702

31.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$85.8 SEK 842

0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$812 SEK 7,964

-11.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$653 SEK 6,408

-24.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,499 SEK 14.7K

28.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$944 SEK 9,259

51.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,523 SEK 24.8K

20.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$3,119 SEK 30.6K

-83.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.13

34.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vaxjo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Vaxjo

$653 39.2% 33% $162

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Vaxjo

$324 19.5% 21.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Vaxjo

$149 8.9% 19.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Vaxjo

$129 7.8% 6.2% $7.5

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Vaxjo

$245 14.7% 101% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Vaxjo

$68 4.1% 17.6% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Vaxjo

$97 5.8% 37% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $812 in Vaxjo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vaxjo pays about 6.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $66 in Vaxjo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $324 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇪 Vaxjo

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

22:13 10:13 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

55,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Vaxjo 8,880 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Vaxjo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Vaxjo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $812 in Vaxjo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $153 in Vaxjo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Vaxjo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,665 in Vaxjo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vaxjo. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Vaxjo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Vaxjo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.