Cost of Living Comparison Between Tumba and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tumba and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,844 in Tumba versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,898 in Tumba versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,953 in Tumba versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Tumba is roughly 45% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tumba is 38% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.96 SEK 138

$4.66 ฿150

221.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 SEK 620

$46.44 ฿1,496

45.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 SEK 96.4

$8.68 ฿280

20.74%

Cappuccino

$4.60 SEK 42.31

$2.95 ฿95.0

55.93%

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

$2.73 SEK 25.10

$0.70 ฿22.52

290.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SEK 22.63

$0.39 ฿12.70

530.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 SEK 69.7

$2.53 ฿81.6

199.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 SEK 69.4

$3.78 ฿122

99.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 16.62

$2.22 ฿71.5

-18.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 SEK 28.08

$1.80 ฿57.8

69.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 SEK 35.91

$2.19 ฿70.4

78.08%

Eggs

$3.94 SEK 36.27

$2.31 ฿74.5

70.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 SEK 120

$19.34 ฿623

-32.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.31 SEK 122

$3.77 ฿121

253.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.69 SEK 144

$13.22 ฿426

18.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 33.22

$3.33 ฿107

8.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 SEK 24.72

$1.65 ฿53.1

63.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 SEK 14.35

$2.29 ฿73.7

-31.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 SEK 40.80

$1.99 ฿64.1

122.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 SEK 13.92

$1.53 ฿49.24

-1.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 17.41

$1.51 ฿48.77

25.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 SEK 23.18

$1.03 ฿33.12

144.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 SEK 14.93

$0.51 ฿16.57

217.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.19 SEK 66.2

$4.41 ฿142

63.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.12 SEK 121

$19.41 ฿625

-32.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SEK 15.75

$1.80 ฿58.0

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SEK 17.35

$2.68 ฿86.4

-29.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.32 SEK 39.70

$1.43 ฿46.11

202.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 SEK 998

$11.70 ฿377

827.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 SEK 57.9

$3.04 ฿97.9

106.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 SEK 10.98

$1.04 ฿33.37

14.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.85 SEK 192

$13.68 ฿441

52.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 SEK 18.49

$1.30 ฿41.85

54.62%

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

$33.1K SEK 304.6K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

18.69%

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

$34.6K SEK 317.9K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

4.60%

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

$90.1 SEK 829

$123 ฿3,962

-26.71%

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

$28.94 SEK 266

$13.82 ฿445

109.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.50 SEK 391

$18.86 ฿608

125.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.63 SEK 392

$61.2 ฿1,970

-30.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.32 SEK 233

$16.81 ฿541

50.62%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 SEK 151

$8.87 ฿286

85.23%

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

$144 SEK 1,329

$696 ฿22.4K

-79.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,106 SEK 37.8K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-74.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 SEK 971

$59.3 ฿1,910

77.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.88 SEK 395

$34.85 ฿1,123

23.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,080

$113 ฿3,646

3.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,406

$85.1 ฿2,740

79.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 SEK 7,596

$615 ฿19.8K

34.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 SEK 6,063

$448 ฿14.4K

46.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 SEK 13.1K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-31.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 SEK 10.1K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-26.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,180 SEK 38.5K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

11.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,901 SEK 26.7K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

8.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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 Tumba: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $826 in Tumba and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Tumba vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $291 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

Tumba 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 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,766 in Tumba and $1,904 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $826 in Tumba versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $144 in Tumba versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Tumba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,844 in Tumba, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tumba. 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 Tumba, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tumba 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 45% less than in Tumba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.