Cost of Living Comparison Between Umea and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Umea and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,695 in Umea versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,667 in Umea versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,639 in Umea versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Umea is roughly 36% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Umea is 27% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.05 SEK 155

$4.55 ฿153

252.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 SEK 803

$46.18 ฿1,550

80.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 SEK 113

$8.84 ฿297

32.92%

Cappuccino

$4.12 SEK 39.68

$3.06 ฿103

34.64%

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

$3.39 SEK 32.70

$0.73 ฿24.36

364.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SEK 24.97

$0.40 ฿13.37

547.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.11 SEK 87.8

$2.43 ฿81.6

274.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 SEK 71.6

$3.78 ฿127

96.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.66

$2.26 ฿75.8

-23.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 SEK 33.61

$1.81 ฿60.8

92.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 40.86

$2.25 ฿75.7

88.44%

Eggs

$4.32 SEK 41.61

$2.25 ฿75.4

92.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 SEK 111

$19.51 ฿655

-41.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 SEK 106

$3.65 ฿122

201.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.49 SEK 178

$13.05 ฿438

41.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.18

$3.23 ฿109

-12.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 SEK 22.35

$1.62 ฿54.3

43.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 28.77

$2.38 ฿80.0

25.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 SEK 43.21

$2.03 ฿68.0

120.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 16.55

$1.53 ฿51.5

12.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 SEK 17.74

$1.50 ฿50.4

22.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 SEK 25.21

$0.98 ฿32.85

167.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SEK 14.43

$0.52 ฿17.36

188.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 SEK 65.8

$4.44 ฿149

53.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 SEK 105

$18.32 ฿615

-40.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 15.99

$1.86 ฿62.6

-10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.28

$2.68 ฿90.0

-21.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 SEK 29.11

$1.41 ฿47.37

114.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 SEK 579

$11.70 ฿393

413.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 SEK 50.5

$3.11 ฿104

68.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 16.00

$1.04 ฿35.00

59.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.83 SEK 451

$14.11 ฿474

231.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 SEK 18.39

$1.31 ฿44.02

45.80%

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

$32.2K SEK 310.7K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

15.91%

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

$34.9K SEK 336.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

5.10%

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

$69.4 SEK 668

$122 ฿4,110

-43.36%

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

$34.68 SEK 334

$13.59 ฿456

155.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.86 SEK 259

$18.70 ฿628

43.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 SEK 490

$60.5 ฿2,031

-15.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.23 SEK 378

$16.98 ฿570

131.04%

Cinema Ticket

$16.00 SEK 154

$9.07 ฿305

76.41%

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

$147 SEK 1,417

$706 ฿23.7K

-79.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,186 SEK 40.3K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-73.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 SEK 978

$58.6 ฿1,965

73.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 SEK 371

$35.36 ฿1,187

9.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,213

$115 ฿3,876

9.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 SEK 1,318

$83.7 ฿2,811

63.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 SEK 7,733

$626 ฿21.0K

28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 SEK 5,233

$445 ฿14.9K

22.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 SEK 11.4K

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-42.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 SEK 8,660

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-39.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,763 SEK 45.9K

$3,483 ฿116.9K

36.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,146 SEK 30.3K

$2,577 ฿86.5K

22.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,703 SEK 26.1K

$500 ฿16.8K

440.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

5.33

-15.01%

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

Last update for Umea: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $803 in Umea and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umea pays 441% 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: $83.0 in Umea vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $289 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

Umea 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 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 441% higher in Umea, 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: $803 in Umea versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $147 in Umea versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Umea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,695 in Umea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Umea. 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 Umea, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Umea 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 36% less than in Umea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.