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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,732 in Ystad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $2,721 in Ystad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $3,709 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 8% below, Ystad is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$11.78 SEK 110

-61.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$93.0 SEK 870

-49.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$10.72 SEK 100

-20.80%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$4.16 SEK 38.92

-25.96%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$3.02 SEK 28.21

-77.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$2.57 SEK 24.01

-85.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$6.23 SEK 58.3

-61.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$7.75 SEK 72.5

-53.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.69 SEK 15.78

29.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$2.89 SEK 27.03

-37.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$3.27 SEK 30.56

-31.80%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$3.20 SEK 29.90

-30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$11.81 SEK 110

65.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$9.68 SEK 90.6

-61.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$18.73 SEK 175

-28.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$3.17 SEK 29.62

5.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$2.76 SEK 25.77

-41.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$3.04 SEK 28.48

-20.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$4.34 SEK 40.63

-54.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.73 SEK 16.22

-11.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.93 SEK 18.10

-24.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$2.22 SEK 20.75

-54.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.61 SEK 15.03

-70.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$8.14 SEK 76.2

-47.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$12.85 SEK 120

48.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.18 SEK 20.42

-15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.51 SEK 23.52

9.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$3.36 SEK 31.46

-57.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$73.0 SEK 683

-83.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$10.22 SEK 95.6

-70.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.66 SEK 15.51

-36.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$61.8 SEK 578

-77.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.89 SEK 17.66

-31.75%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$25.7K SEK 240.7K

8.95%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$29.6K SEK 277.1K

13.11%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$123 SEK 1,146

-0.43%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$21.34 SEK 200

-34.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$32.03 SEK 300

-41.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$40.41 SEK 378

51.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$25.09 SEK 235

-32.88%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$12.90 SEK 121

-31.09%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$173 SEK 1,618

299.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$4,208 SEK 39.4K

283.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$53.2 SEK 498

8.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$39.09 SEK 366

-9.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$95.9 SEK 897

18.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$155 SEK 1,452

-46.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$831 SEK 7,776

-27.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$643 SEK 6,017

-30.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$1,403 SEK 13.1K

44.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$1,096 SEK 10.3K

36.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$4,236 SEK 39.6K

-15.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$2,988 SEK 28.0K

-13.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$1,928 SEK 18.0K

-73.83%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Ystad: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $831 in Ystad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ystad pays 282% 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 $93.0 in Ystad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $357 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 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ystad earns 282% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $831 in Ystad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $173 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 $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,732 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 42% less than in Ystad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.