Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,505 in Stockholm versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Stockholm versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,096 in Stockholm versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 98% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Stockholm is 87% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.12 SEK 150

$4.70 ฿153

242.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 SEK 1,045

$45.37 ฿1,482

146.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 SEK 108

$8.43 ฿275

37.37%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SEK 47.40

$2.93 ฿95.6

73.38%

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

$3.30 SEK 30.79

$0.69 ฿22.40

378.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.35

$0.37 ฿11.99

575.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 SEK 80.9

$2.41 ฿78.6

259.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 SEK 77.5

$3.72 ฿122

123.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.03

$2.23 ฿72.9

-22.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 SEK 32.29

$1.83 ฿59.8

89.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 37.28

$2.17 ฿70.8

83.87%

Eggs

$4.72 SEK 44.00

$2.21 ฿72.3

113.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 SEK 122

$19.74 ฿645

-33.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 120

$3.63 ฿119

255.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 SEK 183

$13.53 ฿442

44.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 SEK 33.73

$3.28 ฿107

10.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.37

$1.61 ฿52.6

75.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 SEK 31.62

$2.41 ฿78.6

40.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 SEK 42.88

$2.08 ฿68.1

121.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 SEK 17.70

$1.53 ฿49.93

24.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.54

$1.48 ฿48.36

27.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 24.27

$0.99 ฿32.29

162.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 14.98

$0.51 ฿16.67

215.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.0

$4.41 ฿144

77.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 SEK 120

$19.38 ฿633

-33.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 20.15

$1.78 ฿58.1

21.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 20.95

$2.71 ฿88.6

-17.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 SEK 42.60

$1.37 ฿44.79

233.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 SEK 1,028

$11.39 ฿372

867.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 SEK 58.5

$3.02 ฿98.6

107.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SEK 14.67

$0.99 ฿32.48

58.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.5 SEK 583

$14.10 ฿461

343.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 16.98

$1.36 ฿44.51

33.82%

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

$33.0K SEK 307.6K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

16.88%

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

$35.4K SEK 330.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

7.64%

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

$229 SEK 2,133

$122 ฿3,975

87.87%

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

$28.82 SEK 269

$13.57 ฿443

112.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.69 SEK 389

$18.31 ฿598

127.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.58 SEK 435

$60.2 ฿1,967

-22.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.46 SEK 359

$17.14 ฿560

124.39%

Cinema Ticket

$17.65 SEK 165

$8.69 ฿284

103.11%

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

$165 SEK 1,541

$693 ฿22.6K

-76.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,662 SEK 62.2K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-57.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 SEK 909

$59.5 ฿1,944

63.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 SEK 461

$34.77 ฿1,136

42.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,090

$115 ฿3,743

1.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 SEK 1,907

$83.3 ฿2,720

145.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 SEK 14.8K

$613 ฿20.0K

159.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 10.3K

$437 ฿14.3K

153.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 SEK 25.8K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

32.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 SEK 16.8K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

19.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K SEK 114.3K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

226.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,689 SEK 62.4K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

155.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,779 SEK 35.3K

$508 ฿16.6K

643.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

5.33

-21.95%

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

Last update for Stockholm: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Stockholm and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 644% 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: $112 in Stockholm vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $293 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

Stockholm vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Stockholm pays 644% more on average, 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: $1,589 in Stockholm versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $165 in Stockholm versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Stockholm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,505 in Stockholm, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. 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 Stockholm, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Stockholm and Phuket 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 98% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.