Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sala, Sweden and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,555 in Sala, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Sala
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Sala Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Sala

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,555

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sala and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sala and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,555 in Sala versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Sala $1,555
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,301 in Sala versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Sala $2,301
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,046 in Sala versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Sala $3,046
Phuket $3,154

Living in Sala is roughly 22% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sala is 14% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.16 SEK 119

$4.47 ฿151

172.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 SEK 590

$32.41 ฿1,093

85.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 SEK 96.9

$8.81 ฿297

12.03%

Cappuccino

$3.04 SEK 29.84

$2.83 ฿95.4

7.42%

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

$1.74 SEK 17.05

$0.87 ฿29.41

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 21.97

$0.49 ฿16.65

357.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 SEK 70.5

$2.56 ฿86.3

180.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 SEK 71.1

$3.68 ฿124

96.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.89

$1.66 ฿55.9

3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 SEK 25.25

$1.46 ฿49.31

76.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 SEK 33.61

$1.50 ฿50.5

128.00%

Eggs

$5.26 SEK 51.6

$2.09 ฿70.5

151.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 SEK 111

$19.07 ฿643

-40.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.99 SEK 127

$3.30 ฿111

293.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.54 SEK 221

$10.91 ฿368

106.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 28.43

$2.93 ฿98.9

-1.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 SEK 26.21

$1.69 ฿57.0

57.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 SEK 26.32

$2.25 ฿75.8

19.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 SEK 45.05

$2.08 ฿70.0

120.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 SEK 14.21

$1.51 ฿51.0

-3.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 SEK 11.11

$1.38 ฿46.52

-18.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 SEK 24.81

$1.07 ฿35.96

136.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 SEK 10.14

$0.52 ฿17.51

98.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.96 SEK 68.3

$4.20 ฿142

65.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 SEK 59.0

$18.79 ฿634

-68.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 SEK 19.70

$1.82 ฿61.5

10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 SEK 17.30

$2.84 ฿95.8

-38.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 SEK 29.25

$1.45 ฿48.98

105.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.73 SEK 203

$56.7 ฿1,912

-63.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 SEK 57.5

$3.02 ฿102

94.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 SEK 17.48

$1.02 ฿34.33

74.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.0 SEK 795

$3.69 ฿125

2095.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 SEK 16.70

$1.47 ฿49.76

15.65%

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

$33.9K SEK 332.6K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

26.56%

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

$33.6K SEK 330.0K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

26.00%

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

$178 SEK 1,742

$96.4 ฿3,251

84.23%

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

$19.84 SEK 195

$11.26 ฿380

76.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.07 SEK 383

$16.85 ฿568

131.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 SEK 448

$67.2 ฿2,268

-32.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.95 SEK 196

$10.73 ฿362

85.93%

Cinema Ticket

$16.33 SEK 160

$7.50 ฿253

117.73%

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

$221 SEK 2,164

$476 ฿16.1K

-53.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,219 SEK 12.0K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-89.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.53 SEK 437

$62.4 ฿2,104

-28.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 SEK 342

$28.41 ฿958

22.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 SEK 514

$94.3 ฿3,181

-44.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.0 SEK 540

$85.8 ฿2,895

-35.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 SEK 7,028

$716 ฿24.2K

0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 SEK 5,065

$491 ฿16.6K

5.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 SEK 9,035

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-52.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 SEK 7,001

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-50.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,986 SEK 39.1K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-4.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,798 SEK 27.5K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-8.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,432 SEK 23.9K

$502 ฿16.9K

384.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

5.57

-49.73%

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

Last update for Sala: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sala

$516 33.2%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 4.9% $25

Groceries & Markets

Sala

$363 23.4%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 26.7% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sala

$236 15.2%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 47.4% $112

Eating Out

Sala

$230 14.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 47% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Sala

$84 5.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 45% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Sala

$78 5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 5% $3.9

Getting Around

Sala

$47 3.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 48.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Sala and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays about 4.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Sala vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Sala

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

19:50 7:50 PM

6 h ahead of Sala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,994

79,308

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sala Phuket 8,790 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sala
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Sala vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Sala is about 4.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Sala versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $221 in Sala versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Sala. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,555 in Sala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sala. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Sala and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Sala on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.