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: $1,870 in Tumba versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,926 in Tumba versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,982 in Tumba versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Tumba is roughly 48% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tumba is 40% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 SEK 144

$4.53 ฿153

227.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.9 SEK 659

$46.36 ฿1,562

46.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 SEK 103

$8.65 ฿291

23.01%

Cappuccino

$4.50 SEK 43.74

$3.09 ฿104

45.63%

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

$2.68 SEK 26.00

$0.68 ฿22.85

294.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 23.98

$0.37 ฿12.41

567.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 SEK 71.0

$2.42 ฿81.4

202.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 SEK 72.3

$3.81 ฿128

95.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SEK 16.61

$2.18 ฿73.4

-21.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 SEK 29.91

$1.82 ฿61.2

69.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 SEK 38.28

$2.18 ฿73.3

80.73%

Eggs

$3.88 SEK 37.70

$2.24 ฿75.3

73.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 SEK 126

$19.93 ฿671

-35.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.08 SEK 127

$3.64 ฿123

259.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 SEK 150

$13.56 ฿457

13.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 SEK 34.91

$3.29 ฿111

9.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 26.23

$1.69 ฿56.8

59.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 15.45

$2.33 ฿78.6

-31.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 SEK 44.30

$2.03 ฿68.3

124.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 SEK 15.24

$1.60 ฿53.9

-1.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.64

$1.49 ฿50.4

22.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 SEK 24.29

$1.01 ฿34.11

147.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 SEK 15.85

$0.48 ฿16.06

239.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.29 SEK 70.8

$4.45 ฿150

63.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.48 SEK 102

$18.63 ฿628

-43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SEK 16.75

$1.79 ฿60.2

-3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 SEK 19.20

$2.80 ฿94.2

-29.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 SEK 44.23

$1.42 ฿47.81

220.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 SEK 1,031

$11.33 ฿382

836.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 SEK 59.6

$3.09 ฿104

98.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 SEK 12.02

$1.04 ฿35.13

19.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.83 SEK 202

$13.63 ฿459

52.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 SEK 19.37

$1.31 ฿44.15

51.91%

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

$32.5K SEK 315.7K

$27.3K ฿919.1K

19.17%

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

$34.9K SEK 338.9K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

5.03%

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

$113 SEK 1,096

$123 ฿4,149

-8.34%

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

$28.97 SEK 281

$13.81 ฿465

109.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.53 SEK 413

$18.52 ฿624

129.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.28 SEK 420

$60.4 ฿2,034

-28.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.13 SEK 244

$16.80 ฿566

49.58%

Cinema Ticket

$16.38 SEK 159

$8.89 ฿299

84.25%

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

$143 SEK 1,387

$687 ฿23.1K

-79.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 40.9K

$15.6K ฿523.9K

-72.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 SEK 1,031

$57.6 ฿1,942

84.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.52 SEK 423

$34.66 ฿1,168

25.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 SEK 1,126

$115 ฿3,872

0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,504

$84.9 ฿2,860

82.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 SEK 8,306

$618 ฿20.8K

38.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 SEK 6,477

$443 ฿14.9K

50.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 SEK 13.3K

$2,047 ฿69.0K

-32.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 SEK 10.6K

$1,506 ฿50.7K

-27.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,528 SEK 44.0K

$3,568 ฿120.2K

26.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,876 SEK 27.9K

$2,511 ฿84.6K

14.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $855 in Tumba and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Tumba vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $292 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 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,804 in Tumba and $1,891 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: $855 in Tumba versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $143 in Tumba versus $687 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 $1,870 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 48% less than in Tumba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.