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 $1,692 in Ystad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,716 in Ystad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,740 in Ystad.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$12.41 SEK 122

-64.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$89.7 SEK 884

-64.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$10.53 SEK 104

-15.19%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.09 SEK 30.45

-6.15%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.92 SEK 28.81

-69.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$2.38 SEK 23.47

-79.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$7.15 SEK 70.4

-67.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$7.96 SEK 78.4

-53.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.74 SEK 17.12

7.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.83 SEK 27.85

-48.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.22 SEK 31.73

-51.86%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$3.15 SEK 31.03

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$11.86 SEK 117

65.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.53 SEK 93.9

-64.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$17.36 SEK 171

-34.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.26 SEK 32.12

-8.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.57 SEK 25.37

-34.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$3.20 SEK 31.50

-30.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.40 SEK 43.38

-50.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.68 SEK 16.51

-9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.69 SEK 16.61

-20.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.02 SEK 19.88

-44.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.76 SEK 17.32

-68.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$8.54 SEK 84.2

-50.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$12.57 SEK 124

51.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.20 SEK 21.67

-19.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.24 SEK 22.06

24.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$3.35 SEK 33.05

-33.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$79.9 SEK 788

-71.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$6.28 SEK 61.9

-51.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.78 SEK 17.50

-42.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$62.4 SEK 615

-93.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.93 SEK 19.05

-22.80%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$30.8K SEK 303.0K

-13.56%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$35.5K SEK 350.2K

-23.93%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$106 SEK 1,046

-3.42%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$19.40 SEK 191

-41.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$31.45 SEK 310

-44.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$39.48 SEK 389

31.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$26.20 SEK 258

-57.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$12.39 SEK 122

-37.93%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$187 SEK 1,841

200.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$4,588 SEK 45.2K

150.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$52.4 SEK 516

20.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$33.85 SEK 334

-12.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$94.1 SEK 927

4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$135 SEK 1,335

-34.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$845 SEK 8,324

-12.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$604 SEK 5,953

-20.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,426 SEK 14.1K

47.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,048 SEK 10.3K

16.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$4,229 SEK 41.7K

-14.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,901 SEK 28.6K

-10.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,914 SEK 18.9K

-74.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.06

82.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Ystad: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $845 in Ystad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ystad pays 288% 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 $90.0 in Ystad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $351 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 288% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $845 in Ystad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $187 in Ystad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Ystad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,692 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 37% less than in Ystad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.