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: $1,776 in Sundsvall versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,653 in Sundsvall versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Sundsvall versus $3,329 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Sundsvall is 33% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.51 SEK 117

$4.70 ฿153

166.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 SEK 788

$45.37 ฿1,482

86.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 SEK 96.1

$8.43 ฿275

22.18%

Cappuccino

$4.41 SEK 41.19

$2.93 ฿95.6

50.51%

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

$2.53 SEK 23.60

$0.69 ฿22.40

266.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 19.59

$0.37 ฿11.99

467.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.44 SEK 69.4

$2.41 ฿78.6

208.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 SEK 75.5

$3.72 ฿122

117.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 SEK 14.76

$2.23 ฿72.9

-29.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 SEK 30.86

$1.83 ฿59.8

80.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 SEK 34.91

$2.17 ฿70.8

72.35%

Eggs

$3.58 SEK 33.43

$2.21 ฿72.3

61.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 SEK 95.2

$19.74 ฿645

-48.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 SEK 96.6

$3.63 ฿119

185.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 SEK 172

$13.53 ฿442

36.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.04

$3.28 ฿107

-11.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 SEK 22.73

$1.61 ฿52.6

51.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 SEK 24.75

$2.41 ฿78.6

9.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 SEK 37.84

$2.08 ฿68.1

95.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 SEK 13.67

$1.53 ฿49.93

-4.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 SEK 13.78

$1.48 ฿48.36

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 SEK 17.55

$0.99 ฿32.29

89.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 SEK 9.26

$0.51 ฿16.67

94.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.78 SEK 72.6

$4.41 ฿144

76.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.39 SEK 87.6

$19.38 ฿633

-51.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SEK 15.29

$1.78 ฿58.1

-7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 SEK 14.03

$2.71 ฿88.6

-44.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 31.95

$1.37 ฿44.79

149.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.4 SEK 806

$11.39 ฿372

658.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 SEK 57.9

$3.02 ฿98.6

105.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 SEK 11.50

$0.99 ฿32.48

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.1 SEK 570

$14.10 ฿461

333.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 17.73

$1.36 ฿44.51

39.71%

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

$26.5K SEK 247.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-5.95%

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

$27.7K SEK 258.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-15.94%

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

$131 SEK 1,227

$122 ฿3,975

8.01%

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

$30.18 SEK 282

$13.57 ฿443

122.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.01 SEK 243

$18.31 ฿598

42.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.55 SEK 360

$60.2 ฿1,967

-35.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.01 SEK 243

$17.14 ฿560

51.75%

Cinema Ticket

$14.47 SEK 135

$8.69 ฿284

66.51%

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

$144 SEK 1,344

$693 ฿22.6K

-79.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,148 SEK 38.7K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-73.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 SEK 874

$59.5 ฿1,944

57.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.00 SEK 280

$34.77 ฿1,136

-13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 SEK 707

$115 ฿3,743

-33.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 SEK 1,231

$83.3 ฿2,720

58.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 SEK 7,724

$613 ฿20.0K

35.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 SEK 5,833

$437 ฿14.3K

43.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 SEK 11.2K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-42.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 SEK 8,305

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-41.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,598 SEK 24.2K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-30.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,350 SEK 12.6K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-48.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,231 SEK 30.2K

$508 ฿16.6K

535.97%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Sundsvall and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sundsvall pays 536% 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: $84.0 in Sundsvall vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 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

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.

Sundsvall pays 536% 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: $828 in Sundsvall versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $144 in Sundsvall 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 14% higher in Sundsvall. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,776 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.