Cost of Living Comparison Between Sundsvall and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sundsvall and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,756 in Sundsvall versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,619 in Sundsvall versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,482 in Sundsvall versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Sundsvall is roughly 40% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sundsvall is 31% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.87 SEK 124

$4.55 ฿153

182.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 SEK 824

$46.18 ฿1,554

84.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$8.84 ฿298

17.87%

Cappuccino

$4.54 SEK 43.84

$3.06 ฿103

48.37%

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

$2.46 SEK 23.75

$0.73 ฿24.42

236.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 19.86

$0.40 ฿13.40

412.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 SEK 75.6

$2.43 ฿81.8

221.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.15 SEK 78.7

$3.78 ฿127

115.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 SEK 15.20

$2.26 ฿76.0

-30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 SEK 32.33

$1.81 ฿60.9

84.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 SEK 36.89

$2.25 ฿75.8

69.78%

Eggs

$3.73 SEK 36.03

$2.25 ฿75.6

65.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 SEK 98.0

$19.51 ฿656

-48.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 SEK 99.6

$3.65 ฿123

182.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.41 SEK 178

$13.05 ฿439

41.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 27.43

$3.23 ฿109

-12.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 SEK 23.60

$1.62 ฿54.4

50.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 24.87

$2.38 ฿80.2

7.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 SEK 39.25

$2.03 ฿68.2

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 SEK 14.64

$1.53 ฿51.6

-1.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 SEK 13.76

$1.50 ฿50.5

-5.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 SEK 18.16

$0.98 ฿32.93

91.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 SEK 10.00

$0.52 ฿17.40

98.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.70 SEK 74.4

$4.44 ฿149

73.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 SEK 89.6

$18.32 ฿616

-49.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SEK 15.90

$1.86 ฿62.7

-11.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 15.08

$2.68 ฿90.2

-41.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 32.47

$1.41 ฿47.49

138.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.8 SEK 830

$11.70 ฿394

633.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 62.4

$3.11 ฿105

107.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 SEK 11.82

$1.04 ฿35.08

17.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.1 SEK 610

$14.11 ฿475

346.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.36

$1.31 ฿44.13

45.04%

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

$26.7K SEK 258.2K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-3.95%

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

$26.9K SEK 260.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-18.91%

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

$132 SEK 1,271

$122 ฿4,120

7.41%

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

$29.93 SEK 289

$13.59 ฿457

120.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 SEK 249

$18.70 ฿629

37.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.95 SEK 367

$60.5 ฿2,035

-37.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.04 SEK 252

$16.98 ฿572

53.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 SEK 143

$9.07 ฿305

62.62%

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

$145 SEK 1,402

$706 ฿23.8K

-79.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,164 SEK 40.3K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-73.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.0 SEK 909

$58.6 ฿1,970

60.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.77 SEK 297

$35.36 ฿1,190

-12.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 SEK 749

$115 ฿3,885

-32.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 SEK 1,264

$83.7 ฿2,818

56.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 SEK 8,092

$626 ฿21.1K

33.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 SEK 6,131

$445 ฿15.0K

42.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 SEK 11.5K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-41.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 SEK 8,399

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-41.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,466 SEK 23.8K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-29.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,293 SEK 12.5K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-49.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,018 SEK 29.2K

$500 ฿16.8K

503.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.33

-15.95%

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

Last update for Sundsvall: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $837 in Sundsvall and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sundsvall pays 504% 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: $85.0 in Sundsvall vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 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

Sundsvall vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 504% higher in Sundsvall, 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: $837 in Sundsvall versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in Sundsvall 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 15% higher in Sundsvall. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,756 in Sundsvall, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sundsvall. 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 Sundsvall, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sundsvall 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 40% less than in Sundsvall. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.