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: $1,694 in Umea versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,666 in Umea versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,638 in Umea versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Umea is roughly 34% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Umea is 26% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.05 SEK 150

$4.70 ฿153

241.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 SEK 796

$45.37 ฿1,482

88.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 SEK 106

$8.43 ฿275

35.35%

Cappuccino

$4.29 SEK 40.00

$2.93 ฿95.6

46.42%

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

$3.39 SEK 31.65

$0.69 ฿22.40

391.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 SEK 23.45

$0.37 ฿11.99

578.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.11 SEK 85.0

$2.41 ฿78.6

278.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 70.4

$3.72 ฿122

102.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SEK 15.80

$2.23 ฿72.9

-24.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 SEK 33.37

$1.83 ฿59.8

95.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 SEK 40.31

$2.17 ฿70.8

99.08%

Eggs

$4.29 SEK 40.00

$2.21 ฿72.3

94.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 SEK 111

$19.74 ฿645

-39.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.05 SEK 103

$3.63 ฿119

204.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 SEK 171

$13.53 ฿442

35.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 26.48

$3.28 ฿107

-13.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 SEK 22.30

$1.61 ฿52.6

48.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 26.47

$2.41 ฿78.6

17.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 SEK 41.41

$2.08 ฿68.1

113.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 15.65

$1.53 ฿49.93

9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 16.96

$1.48 ฿48.36

22.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 SEK 24.40

$0.99 ฿32.29

164.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SEK 13.78

$0.51 ฿16.67

190.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 SEK 62.5

$4.41 ฿144

51.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.34 SEK 106

$19.38 ฿633

-41.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 15.46

$1.78 ฿58.1

-6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 20.76

$2.71 ฿88.6

-18.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 SEK 29.31

$1.37 ฿44.79

129.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 SEK 552

$11.39 ฿372

418.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 SEK 48.74

$3.02 ฿98.6

72.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 14.97

$0.99 ฿32.48

61.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.06 SEK 439

$14.10 ฿461

233.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 SEK 18.18

$1.36 ฿44.51

43.38%

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

$32.7K SEK 305.4K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

16.05%

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

$35.2K SEK 328.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

7.07%

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

$67.8 SEK 632

$122 ฿3,975

-44.31%

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

$34.49 SEK 322

$13.57 ฿443

154.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.30 SEK 255

$18.31 ฿598

49.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 SEK 483

$60.2 ฿1,967

-14.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.59 SEK 360

$17.14 ฿560

125.15%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 SEK 149

$8.69 ฿284

83.20%

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

$149 SEK 1,388

$693 ฿22.6K

-78.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,094 SEK 38.2K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-73.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 SEK 925

$59.5 ฿1,944

66.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 SEK 357

$34.77 ฿1,136

9.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,171

$115 ฿3,743

9.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 SEK 1,267

$83.3 ฿2,720

63.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 SEK 7,395

$613 ฿20.0K

29.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 SEK 4,942

$437 ฿14.3K

21.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 SEK 11.1K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-43.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 SEK 8,347

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-40.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,972 SEK 46.4K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

32.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,309 SEK 30.9K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

26.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,875 SEK 26.8K

$508 ฿16.6K

465.88%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $793 in Umea and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umea pays 466% 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: $85.0 in Umea vs $45.00 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

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 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Umea pays 466% more on average, 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: $793 in Umea versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $149 in Umea versus $693 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 Umea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,694 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 34% less than in Umea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.