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: $1,895 in Tumba versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,871 in Tumba versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,847 in Tumba versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Tumba is roughly 50% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tumba is 41% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.95 SEK 142

$4.56 ฿150

227.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 SEK 638

$46.63 ฿1,535

44.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 SEK 101

$8.47 ฿279

25.15%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 44.10

$3.03 ฿99.7

53.47%

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

$2.70 SEK 25.57

$0.69 ฿22.69

291.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SEK 23.85

$0.37 ฿12.04

581.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 SEK 67.9

$2.49 ฿81.9

187.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 SEK 71.3

$3.66 ฿120

105.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.26

$2.18 ฿71.8

-21.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 SEK 29.47

$1.90 ฿62.6

63.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.02 SEK 38.11

$2.20 ฿72.4

82.73%

Eggs

$3.99 SEK 37.84

$2.22 ฿73.2

79.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 SEK 121

$19.99 ฿658

-35.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.16 SEK 125

$3.66 ฿121

259.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.63 SEK 148

$13.25 ฿436

17.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 SEK 34.28

$3.23 ฿106

12.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 24.41

$1.70 ฿55.9

51.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 SEK 14.88

$2.39 ฿78.8

-34.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 SEK 44.07

$2.08 ฿68.4

123.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 SEK 14.79

$1.59 ฿52.4

-1.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 17.71

$1.48 ฿48.83

26.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 SEK 24.84

$1.03 ฿33.90

154.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.27

$0.52 ฿17.01

209.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.37 SEK 69.9

$4.25 ฿140

73.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 SEK 102

$18.79 ฿618

-42.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 SEK 16.73

$1.76 ฿57.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 SEK 18.14

$2.76 ฿90.8

-30.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.41 SEK 41.86

$1.36 ฿44.79

224.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 SEK 1,004

$11.36 ฿374

832.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 SEK 58.1

$3.14 ฿103

95.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 SEK 11.58

$1.04 ฿34.10

17.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.80 SEK 197

$13.77 ฿453

51.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 SEK 18.90

$1.34 ฿44.26

48.51%

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

$32.2K SEK 305.1K

$27.7K ฿911.1K

16.25%

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

$34.2K SEK 324.3K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

1.01%

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

$90.3 SEK 856

$124 ฿4,069

-26.91%

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

$28.17 SEK 267

$13.52 ฿445

108.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.83 SEK 397

$18.69 ฿615

123.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.37 SEK 411

$61.8 ฿2,035

-29.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.71 SEK 244

$17.25 ฿568

49.04%

Cinema Ticket

$16.14 SEK 153

$9.14 ฿301

76.59%

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

$143 SEK 1,355

$703 ฿23.1K

-79.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,072 SEK 38.6K

$15.9K ฿522.5K

-74.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 978

$59.5 ฿1,958

73.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.27 SEK 420

$35.07 ฿1,154

26.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,111

$115 ฿3,795

1.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 SEK 1,489

$84.1 ฿2,767

86.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 SEK 7,980

$619 ฿20.4K

36.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 SEK 6,184

$433 ฿14.2K

50.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 SEK 13.3K

$2,062 ฿67.9K

-31.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 SEK 10.5K

$1,511 ฿49.7K

-27.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,847 SEK 46.0K

$3,646 ฿120.0K

32.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,251 SEK 30.8K

$2,626 ฿86.4K

23.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $842 in Tumba and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Tumba vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 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

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 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,842 in Tumba and $1,892 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: $842 in Tumba versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $143 in Tumba versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Tumba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,895 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 50% less than in Tumba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.