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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,695 in Vaxjo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,576 in Vaxjo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,457 in Vaxjo.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Vaxjo is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$13.66 SEK 135

-67.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$65.4 SEK 644

-50.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$10.30 SEK 101

-13.30%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$4.09 SEK 40.31

-29.10%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.55 SEK 15.24

-43.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.38 SEK 13.62

-65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$7.25 SEK 71.4

-67.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$6.77 SEK 66.7

-45.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.81 SEK 17.82

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.47 SEK 24.36

-40.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$4.07 SEK 40.09

-61.92%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$4.69 SEK 46.21

-55.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$13.55 SEK 134

44.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.88 SEK 107

-68.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$12.15 SEK 120

-6.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.17 SEK 31.28

-5.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.10 SEK 20.74

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.10 SEK 20.66

5.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.66 SEK 45.89

-53.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.46 SEK 14.38

4.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.63 SEK 16.04

-17.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.38 SEK 23.44

-52.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.41 SEK 13.92

-60.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$7.35 SEK 72.4

-42.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.85 SEK 77.4

143.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.02 SEK 19.88

-11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.68 SEK 16.56

65.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$3.10 SEK 30.58

-28.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$65.5 SEK 646

-65.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$8.12 SEK 80.0

-62.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.07 SEK 20.42

-50.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$83.2 SEK 820

-95.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.80 SEK 17.70

-17.22%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$34.4K SEK 339.3K

-22.80%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$33.5K SEK 330.1K

-19.30%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$92.2 SEK 909

11.11%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$31.17 SEK 307

-63.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$31.30 SEK 308

-44.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$35.43 SEK 349

46.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$20.21 SEK 199

-45.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$16.47 SEK 162

-53.31%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$155 SEK 1,530

261.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$101 SEK 998

-37.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$30.63 SEK 302

-3.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$71.3 SEK 702

37.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$88.5 SEK 872

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$819 SEK 8,075

-9.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$656 SEK 6,464

-26.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,528 SEK 15.1K

37.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$967 SEK 9,527

26.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,500 SEK 24.6K

4.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,260 SEK 32.1K

-84.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.2

74.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Vaxjo: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $819 in Vaxjo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vaxjo pays 560% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $65.0 in Vaxjo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $333 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 560% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $819 in Vaxjo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $155 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 $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,695 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 38% less than in Vaxjo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.