Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vaxjo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vaxjo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,737 in Vaxjo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,640 in Vaxjo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,544 in Vaxjo.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Vaxjo is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$12.59 SEK 122

-63.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$68.0 SEK 658

-32.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$10.54 SEK 102

-16.13%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.04 SEK 39.07

-24.26%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.27 SEK 12.32

-42.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.29 SEK 12.53

-68.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$7.32 SEK 70.9

-66.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$7.00 SEK 67.8

-46.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.77 SEK 17.14

27.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.37 SEK 22.96

-23.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.06 SEK 39.31

-44.58%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$4.02 SEK 38.95

-44.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$13.82 SEK 134

41.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$11.58 SEK 112

-68.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$13.82 SEK 134

-5.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.52 SEK 34.13

-8.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.69 SEK 26.07

-39.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.55 SEK 14.97

53.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$4.67 SEK 45.25

-56.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.57 SEK 15.18

-2.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.02 SEK 19.60

-25.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$2.78 SEK 26.94

-64.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.69 SEK 16.37

-69.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$7.17 SEK 69.4

-38.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.43 SEK 91.3

94.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.71 SEK 16.57

8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.95 SEK 18.89

37.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$3.11 SEK 30.11

-54.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$67.3 SEK 652

-82.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$10.64 SEK 103

-70.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.60 SEK 15.46

-35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$21.41 SEK 207

-34.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.97 SEK 19.11

-33.50%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$32.6K SEK 315.5K

-14.64%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$31.1K SEK 301.1K

6.82%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$91.5 SEK 886

33.87%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$27.97 SEK 271

-51.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$32.21 SEK 312

-41.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$39.24 SEK 380

54.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$25.72 SEK 249

-33.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$16.85 SEK 163

-46.17%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$146 SEK 1,415

383.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$731 SEK 7,076

2062.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$107 SEK 1,035

-45.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$25.93 SEK 251

36.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$101 SEK 976

14.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$142 SEK 1,379

-41.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$839 SEK 8,121

-25.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$680 SEK 6,583

-34.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,593 SEK 15.4K

28.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$991 SEK 9,599

50.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,516 SEK 24.4K

2.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$3,239 SEK 31.4K

-84.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.53

17.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Vaxjo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $839 in Vaxjo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vaxjo pays 548% 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 Vaxjo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $349 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 Vaxjo: 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, salaries run 548% lower in Vaxjo. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $839 in Vaxjo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $146 in Vaxjo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Vaxjo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,737 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.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vaxjo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Vaxjo 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 Vaxjo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.