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: $2,732 in Stockholm versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,130 in Stockholm versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,527 in Stockholm versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 118% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Stockholm is 99% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 SEK 177

$4.56 ฿151

303.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 SEK 988

$32.62 ฿1,082

214.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 SEK 110

$8.90 ฿295

28.43%

Cappuccino

$5.35 SEK 51.5

$2.80 ฿93.0

91.07%

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

$3.89 SEK 37.43

$0.88 ฿29.19

342.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 SEK 30.85

$0.49 ฿16.23

553.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SEK 81.5

$2.39 ฿79.2

253.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 SEK 88.5

$3.71 ฿123

147.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.80

$1.79 ฿59.3

-2.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 SEK 40.14

$1.44 ฿47.81

189.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 SEK 39.39

$1.58 ฿52.6

158.86%

Eggs

$5.19 SEK 49.96

$2.13 ฿70.5

143.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 SEK 127

$19.92 ฿661

-33.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.55 SEK 131

$3.43 ฿114

295.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.30 SEK 215

$11.33 ฿376

96.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 SEK 34.19

$2.95 ฿97.8

20.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 SEK 28.63

$1.72 ฿57.1

72.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.57

$2.32 ฿77.1

36.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 SEK 45.23

$2.08 ฿69.0

125.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 17.97

$1.47 ฿48.77

27.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 17.37

$1.36 ฿45.05

32.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 SEK 23.95

$1.10 ฿36.45

126.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 23.95

$0.57 ฿19.06

336.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.10 SEK 87.7

$4.27 ฿142

113.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 SEK 122

$18.42 ฿611

-31.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.66

$1.87 ฿62.1

14.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.64

$2.92 ฿96.9

-12.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.61 SEK 44.44

$2.22 ฿73.6

107.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 SEK 1,085

$22.90 ฿759

392.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 SEK 59.7

$3.03 ฿101

104.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 SEK 14.74

$1.07 ฿35.63

42.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.2 SEK 570

$3.93 ฿130

1406.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.55

$1.49 ฿49.49

22.15%

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

$34.5K SEK 332.1K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

27.11%

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

$35.1K SEK 338.3K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

27.97%

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

$281 SEK 2,709

$103 ฿3,410

173.58%

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

$22.69 SEK 218

$10.99 ฿365

106.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.70 SEK 392

$17.51 ฿581

132.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 SEK 463

$53.5 ฿1,776

-10.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.41 SEK 399

$11.20 ฿371

269.73%

Cinema Ticket

$19.78 SEK 191

$7.48 ฿248

164.44%

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

$172 SEK 1,658

$557 ฿18.5K

-69.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K SEK 162.2K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

42.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 SEK 1,157

$64.1 ฿2,125

87.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 SEK 557

$29.07 ฿964

98.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 SEK 1,365

$96.0 ฿3,183

47.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 SEK 1,952

$90.3 ฿2,997

124.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 SEK 17.2K

$730 ฿24.2K

144.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$500 ฿16.6K

119.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,323 SEK 32.0K

$2,090 ฿69.3K

58.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 SEK 17.9K

$1,209 ฿40.1K

53.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K SEK 113.0K

$3,596 ฿119.3K

226.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,611 SEK 63.7K

$2,512 ฿83.3K

163.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,662 SEK 35.3K

$503 ฿16.7K

627.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

5.57

-40.57%

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

Last update for Stockholm: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,787 in Stockholm and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 628% 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: $103 in Stockholm vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $273 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 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 628% 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: $1,787 in Stockholm versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $172 in Stockholm versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Stockholm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,732 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 118% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.