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: $1,924 in Tumba versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,018 in Tumba versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,113 in Tumba versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Tumba is roughly 52% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tumba is 40% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.53 SEK 141

$4.66 ฿154

211.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 SEK 668

$32.22 ฿1,065

113.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 100

$8.68 ฿287

19.12%

Cappuccino

$4.63 SEK 44.87

$2.90 ฿95.8

59.66%

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

$2.80 SEK 27.16

$0.84 ฿27.89

233.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SEK 22.35

$0.49 ฿16.16

371.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.32 SEK 71.0

$2.48 ฿82.0

195.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 SEK 69.4

$3.73 ฿123

91.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.71

$1.89 ฿62.3

-8.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 SEK 31.47

$1.41 ฿46.54

130.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 SEK 37.73

$1.62 ฿53.6

140.12%

Eggs

$5.04 SEK 48.85

$2.24 ฿74.1

125.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.39 SEK 130

$19.84 ฿656

-32.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.51 SEK 131

$3.48 ฿115

288.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.70 SEK 172

$11.37 ฿376

55.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 SEK 32.26

$2.90 ฿95.8

14.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 SEK 26.77

$1.72 ฿57.0

60.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 SEK 20.51

$2.27 ฿75.1

-6.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 SEK 45.69

$2.13 ฿70.4

121.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 SEK 14.47

$1.47 ฿48.72

1.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 SEK 17.30

$1.42 ฿46.92

25.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 SEK 22.21

$1.10 ฿36.25

108.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 SEK 18.30

$0.60 ฿19.76

215.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.38 SEK 71.5

$4.31 ฿142

71.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.53 SEK 102

$18.60 ฿615

-43.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SEK 19.37

$1.80 ฿59.5

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SEK 22.20

$2.97 ฿98.0

-22.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 SEK 43.25

$2.25 ฿74.2

98.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 SEK 1,022

$23.49 ฿776

348.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 SEK 58.2

$3.10 ฿102

93.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SEK 14.96

$1.08 ฿35.56

42.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.3 SEK 565

$3.87 ฿128

1405.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.51

$1.43 ฿47.16

26.57%

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

$34.7K SEK 336.2K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

24.80%

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

$33.5K SEK 324.4K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

24.02%

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

$185 SEK 1,793

$105 ฿3,462

76.44%

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

$21.99 SEK 213

$11.39 ฿376

93.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.36 SEK 479

$17.54 ฿580

181.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.04 SEK 408

$54.3 ฿1,795

-22.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 SEK 273

$11.44 ฿378

146.42%

Cinema Ticket

$16.63 SEK 161

$7.78 ฿257

113.75%

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

$169 SEK 1,639

$576 ฿19.0K

-70.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,210 SEK 50.5K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-55.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 SEK 1,135

$63.6 ฿2,103

83.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 SEK 531

$29.10 ฿961

88.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 SEK 958

$96.2 ฿3,179

2.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 SEK 1,959

$90.0 ฿2,974

124.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 SEK 6,955

$733 ฿24.2K

-2.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$636 SEK 6,170

$501 ฿16.5K

27.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 SEK 15.1K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$963 SEK 9,338

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-23.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,958 SEK 38.4K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

12.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,729 SEK 26.5K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

4.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

5.57

-42.55%

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

Last update for Tumba: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $717 in Tumba and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Tumba vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $275 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,886 in Tumba and $1,898 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: $717 in Tumba versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $169 in Tumba versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Tumba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,924 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 52% less than in Tumba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.