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: $2,582 in Stockholm versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,840 in Stockholm versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,098 in Stockholm versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 107% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Stockholm is 93% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 SEK 155

$4.55 ฿153

253.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 SEK 1,062

$46.18 ฿1,550

138.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 SEK 113

$8.84 ฿297

32.13%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SEK 50.1

$3.06 ฿103

69.93%

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

$3.28 SEK 31.64

$0.73 ฿24.36

349.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 23.78

$0.40 ฿13.37

517.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.51 SEK 82.0

$2.43 ฿81.6

250.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 SEK 80.1

$3.78 ฿127

119.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.33

$2.26 ฿75.8

-20.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 SEK 32.84

$1.81 ฿60.8

88.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 SEK 39.19

$2.25 ฿75.7

80.89%

Eggs

$4.70 SEK 45.33

$2.25 ฿75.4

108.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 SEK 123

$19.51 ฿655

-34.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 SEK 127

$3.65 ฿122

262.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 SEK 187

$13.05 ฿438

48.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 SEK 34.66

$3.23 ฿109

11.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.93

$1.62 ฿54.3

79.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 SEK 32.54

$2.38 ฿80.0

42.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 SEK 44.21

$2.03 ฿68.0

126.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 SEK 18.92

$1.53 ฿51.5

28.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 18.17

$1.50 ฿50.4

26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 SEK 24.24

$0.98 ฿32.85

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.55

$0.52 ฿17.36

209.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.06 SEK 77.7

$4.44 ฿149

81.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 SEK 121

$18.32 ฿615

-31.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.08

$1.86 ฿62.6

17.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 SEK 22.76

$2.68 ฿90.0

-11.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 SEK 43.89

$1.41 ฿47.37

222.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 SEK 1,080

$11.70 ฿393

857.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 SEK 61.7

$3.11 ฿104

105.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.95

$1.04 ฿35.00

59.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.3 SEK 610

$14.11 ฿474

348.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 SEK 17.92

$1.31 ฿44.02

41.98%

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

$33.0K SEK 318.3K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

18.77%

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

$34.5K SEK 332.9K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

3.99%

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

$227 SEK 2,189

$122 ฿4,110

85.55%

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

$29.59 SEK 285

$13.59 ฿456

117.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.03 SEK 405

$18.70 ฿628

124.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 SEK 443

$60.5 ฿2,031

-23.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.09 SEK 367

$16.98 ฿570

124.32%

Cinema Ticket

$17.78 SEK 171

$9.07 ฿305

96.03%

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

$164 SEK 1,582

$706 ฿23.7K

-76.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,573 SEK 63.3K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-58.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 SEK 941

$58.6 ฿1,965

66.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.76 SEK 480

$35.36 ฿1,187

40.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,159

$115 ฿3,876

4.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 SEK 1,945

$83.7 ฿2,811

141.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 SEK 15.1K

$626 ฿21.0K

150.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

$445 ฿14.9K

144.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 SEK 26.5K

$2,040 ฿68.5K

34.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 SEK 17.4K

$1,492 ฿50.1K

20.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 113.3K

$3,483 ฿116.9K

237.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.6K

$2,577 ฿86.5K

152.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,643 SEK 35.1K

$500 ฿16.8K

628.91%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Stockholm and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 629% 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: $110 in Stockholm vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $289 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 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 629% higher in Stockholm, 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: $1,566 in Stockholm versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Stockholm versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Stockholm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,582 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 107% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.