Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ystad Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ystad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,782 in Ystad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,746 in Ystad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $3,710 in Ystad.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 29% less than in Ystad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Ystad is 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$11.68 SEK 111

-61.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$91.4 SEK 869

-50.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$10.52 SEK 100.0

-16.73%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.94 SEK 37.43

-24.62%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$3.08 SEK 29.23

-77.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.58 SEK 24.46

-84.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$6.37 SEK 60.5

-60.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$7.84 SEK 74.5

-52.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.70 SEK 16.18

26.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.96 SEK 28.14

-38.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.22 SEK 30.63

-32.30%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$3.08 SEK 29.29

-26.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$11.46 SEK 109

74.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$9.72 SEK 92.4

-62.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$18.83 SEK 179

-27.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.18 SEK 30.23

1.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.74 SEK 26.03

-40.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.00 SEK 28.54

-22.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$4.39 SEK 41.69

-52.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.72 SEK 16.38

-9.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.95 SEK 18.55

-25.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.22 SEK 21.04

-55.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.54 SEK 14.63

-68.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$7.90 SEK 75.0

-44.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$12.12 SEK 115

53.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.25 SEK 21.36

-17.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.50 SEK 23.71

6.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$3.46 SEK 32.90

-58.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$73.2 SEK 695

-84.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$10.08 SEK 95.7

-68.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.58 SEK 14.99

-34.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$61.5 SEK 584

-77.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.96 SEK 18.59

-31.63%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.1K SEK 247.6K

6.65%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$30.0K SEK 284.6K

11.42%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$122 SEK 1,157

1.04%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$20.76 SEK 197

-33.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$32.02 SEK 304

-42.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$41.08 SEK 390

47.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$24.97 SEK 237

-31.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$12.50 SEK 119

-29.04%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$175 SEK 1,658

294.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,121 SEK 39.2K

282.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$53.3 SEK 507

11.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$39.62 SEK 376

-12.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$93.1 SEK 884

23.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$155 SEK 1,474

-46.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$848 SEK 8,052

-26.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$655 SEK 6,227

-31.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,402 SEK 13.3K

45.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,101 SEK 10.5K

35.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$4,191 SEK 39.8K

-17.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,846 SEK 27.0K

-11.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,890 SEK 18.0K

-73.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

33.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ystad: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $848 in Ystad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ystad pays 283% 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 $91.0 in Ystad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $355 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 Ystad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 283% lower in Ystad. 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 $848 in Ystad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $175 in Ystad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,782 in Ystad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ystad. 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 Ystad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ystad 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 41% less than in Ystad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.