Cost of Living Comparison Between Varberg and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Varberg and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,671 in Varberg versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,673 in Varberg versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,675 in Varberg versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Varberg is roughly 32% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varberg is 21% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.62 SEK 151

$4.66 ฿154

235.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 SEK 774

$32.22 ฿1,065

147.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 SEK 103

$8.68 ฿287

22.00%

Cappuccino

$3.90 SEK 37.85

$2.90 ฿95.8

34.48%

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

$1.23 SEK 11.90

$0.84 ฿27.89

46.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 SEK 10.81

$0.49 ฿16.16

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.35 SEK 61.6

$2.48 ฿82.0

156.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 SEK 76.6

$3.73 ฿123

111.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 SEK 15.04

$1.89 ฿62.3

-17.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 SEK 29.80

$1.41 ฿46.54

117.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 SEK 34.15

$1.62 ฿53.6

117.28%

Eggs

$4.33 SEK 41.99

$2.24 ฿74.1

93.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 SEK 128

$19.84 ฿656

-33.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 SEK 113

$3.48 ฿115

234.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.42 SEK 198

$11.37 ฿376

79.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 SEK 30.94

$2.90 ฿95.8

10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 SEK 25.19

$1.72 ฿57.0

51.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 SEK 30.58

$2.27 ฿75.1

38.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 42.33

$2.13 ฿70.4

105.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 15.02

$1.47 ฿48.72

5.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 SEK 15.66

$1.42 ฿46.92

14.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 SEK 25.72

$1.10 ฿36.25

140.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 SEK 9.91

$0.60 ฿19.76

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.11 SEK 68.9

$4.31 ฿142

64.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 SEK 102

$18.60 ฿615

-43.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.35

$1.80 ฿59.5

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 SEK 12.29

$2.97 ฿98.0

-57.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 SEK 28.81

$2.25 ฿74.2

32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.6 SEK 791

$23.49 ฿776

247.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 SEK 51.5

$3.10 ฿102

71.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 SEK 24.50

$1.08 ฿35.56

134.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.5 SEK 499

$3.87 ฿128

1231.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.53

$1.43 ฿47.16

26.57%

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

$34.3K SEK 332.8K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

23.55%

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

$35.2K SEK 340.8K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

30.30%

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

$146 SEK 1,411

$105 ฿3,462

38.91%

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

$20.72 SEK 201

$11.39 ฿376

81.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.78 SEK 298

$17.54 ฿580

75.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.70 SEK 404

$54.3 ฿1,795

-23.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.46 SEK 402

$11.44 ฿378

262.41%

Cinema Ticket

$16.46 SEK 160

$7.78 ฿257

111.57%

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

$159 SEK 1,544

$576 ฿19.0K

-72.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-69.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.0 SEK 718

$63.6 ฿2,103

16.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 SEK 397

$29.10 ฿961

40.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 SEK 1,093

$96.2 ฿3,179

17.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 SEK 1,544

$90.0 ฿2,974

76.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 SEK 8,185

$733 ฿24.2K

15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 SEK 5,130

$501 ฿16.5K

5.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 SEK 12.1K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-41.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 SEK 9,211

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-24.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,747 SEK 65.4K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

90.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,577 SEK 34.7K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

36.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,274 SEK 31.7K

$508 ฿16.8K

545.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

5.57

-65.89%

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

Last update for Varberg: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $844 in Varberg and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varberg pays 545% 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: $80.0 in Varberg vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 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

Varberg 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 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 545% higher in Varberg, 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: $844 in Varberg versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $159 in Varberg 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 34% higher in Varberg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,671 in Varberg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Varberg. 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 Varberg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Varberg 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 32% less than in Varberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.