Cost of Living Comparison Between Uppsala and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Uppsala and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,972 in Uppsala versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,967 in Uppsala versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,962 in Uppsala versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Uppsala is roughly 58% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Uppsala is 48% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.00 SEK 155

$4.55 ฿153

251.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 SEK 665

$46.18 ฿1,553

48.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 SEK 113

$8.84 ฿297

32.58%

Cappuccino

$4.89 SEK 47.37

$3.06 ฿103

59.80%

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

$2.68 SEK 25.91

$0.73 ฿24.40

267.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.87

$0.40 ฿13.39

465.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 SEK 80.5

$2.43 ฿81.8

241.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.53 SEK 82.6

$3.78 ฿127

125.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SEK 15.81

$2.26 ฿76.0

-27.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 SEK 27.97

$1.81 ฿60.9

59.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 SEK 45.21

$2.25 ฿75.8

107.56%

Eggs

$5.19 SEK 50.2

$2.25 ฿75.5

130.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.16 SEK 118

$19.51 ฿656

-37.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.90 SEK 135

$3.65 ฿123

280.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.40 SEK 168

$13.05 ฿439

33.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 SEK 37.69

$3.23 ฿109

20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 27.40

$1.62 ฿54.4

74.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 34.94

$2.38 ฿80.1

51.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 SEK 50.2

$2.03 ฿68.1

155.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 16.10

$1.53 ฿51.6

8.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 SEK 18.01

$1.50 ฿50.5

24.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 SEK 26.17

$0.98 ฿32.91

175.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SEK 12.73

$0.52 ฿17.39

151.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.15 SEK 78.9

$4.44 ฿149

83.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.44 SEK 101

$18.32 ฿616

-43.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 23.88

$1.86 ฿62.7

32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 SEK 25.50

$2.68 ฿90.1

-1.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 SEK 40.38

$1.41 ฿47.46

195.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 SEK 1,050

$11.70 ฿393

826.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 SEK 54.6

$3.11 ฿105

81.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 SEK 11.60

$1.04 ฿35.06

15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.2 SEK 621

$14.11 ฿474

354.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 SEK 19.26

$1.31 ฿44.10

51.91%

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

$32.1K SEK 310.4K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

15.26%

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

$33.9K SEK 328.1K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

2.01%

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

$110 SEK 1,063

$122 ฿4,118

-10.31%

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

$28.97 SEK 280

$13.59 ฿457

113.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 SEK 416

$18.70 ฿629

129.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.06 SEK 378

$60.5 ฿2,034

-35.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 SEK 269

$16.98 ฿571

63.49%

Cinema Ticket

$20.37 SEK 197

$9.07 ฿305

124.59%

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

$145 SEK 1,406

$706 ฿23.8K

-79.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,535 SEK 53.6K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-64.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 SEK 850

$58.6 ฿1,969

49.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.63 SEK 403

$35.36 ฿1,189

17.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 SEK 964

$115 ฿3,883

-13.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 SEK 1,517

$83.7 ฿2,816

87.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 SEK 8,982

$626 ฿21.0K

48.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 SEK 7,323

$445 ฿15.0K

69.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 SEK 14.5K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-26.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-27.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,452 SEK 52.8K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

56.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 SEK 25.4K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

1.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,066 SEK 29.7K

$500 ฿16.8K

513.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

5.33

-9.94%

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

Last update for Uppsala: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $928 in Uppsala and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uppsala pays 513% 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: $69.0 in Uppsala vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 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

Uppsala 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 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 513% higher in Uppsala, 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: $928 in Uppsala versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in Uppsala 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 36% higher in Uppsala. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,972 in Uppsala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Uppsala. 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 Uppsala, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Uppsala 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 58% less than in Uppsala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.