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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,718 in Ystad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,721 in Ystad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,725 in Ystad.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Ystad is 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$11.41 SEK 106

-59.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$91.5 SEK 851

-48.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$10.39 SEK 96.7

-14.92%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.96 SEK 36.80

-24.24%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$3.10 SEK 28.87

-76.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.61 SEK 24.29

-85.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$6.41 SEK 59.6

-61.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$7.80 SEK 72.6

-53.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.74 SEK 16.20

29.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.90 SEK 26.97

-36.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.33 SEK 31.00

-32.73%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.07 SEK 28.55

-24.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$11.71 SEK 109

67.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$9.47 SEK 88.1

-61.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$18.82 SEK 175

-30.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.02 SEK 28.08

12.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.77 SEK 25.76

-40.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.97 SEK 27.66

-18.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.24 SEK 39.45

-52.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.75 SEK 16.29

-10.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.85 SEK 17.25

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.29 SEK 21.25

-55.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.61 SEK 14.93

-69.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$7.84 SEK 72.9

-43.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.86 SEK 110

59.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.22 SEK 20.65

-19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.53 SEK 23.53

8.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$3.36 SEK 31.24

-58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$75.0 SEK 697

-84.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$10.10 SEK 93.9

-69.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.59 SEK 14.76

-37.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$63.4 SEK 589

-77.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.89 SEK 17.55

-28.57%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.3K SEK 244.5K

3.38%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.3K SEK 281.8K

8.64%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$123 SEK 1,141

1.87%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$20.71 SEK 193

-34.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$32.03 SEK 298

-42.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$41.24 SEK 384

49.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$25.56 SEK 238

-34.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$12.53 SEK 117

-26.66%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$177 SEK 1,646

294.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,148 SEK 38.6K

275.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$52.9 SEK 492

9.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$39.47 SEK 367

-10.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$94.0 SEK 874

20.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$156 SEK 1,451

-44.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$852 SEK 7,921

-27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$658 SEK 6,124

-32.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,418 SEK 13.2K

44.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,071 SEK 9,957

39.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$4,423 SEK 41.1K

-14.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$3,203 SEK 29.8K

-17.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,996 SEK 18.6K

-73.76%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ystad: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $852 in Ystad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ystad pays 281% 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 $92.0 in Ystad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $353 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 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ystad earns 281% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $852 in Ystad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $177 in Ystad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,718 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 39% less than in Ystad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.