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: $1,810 in Varberg versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,840 in Varberg versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,870 in Varberg versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Varberg is roughly 43% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varberg is 35% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.96 SEK 132

$4.56 ฿150

206.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.2 SEK 799

$46.63 ฿1,535

80.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 SEK 94.4

$8.47 ฿279

17.47%

Cappuccino

$4.23 SEK 40.12

$3.03 ฿99.7

39.60%

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

$0.92 SEK 8.74

$0.69 ฿22.69

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 SEK 8.68

$0.37 ฿12.04

145.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 SEK 73.8

$2.49 ฿81.9

212.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 SEK 76.7

$3.66 ฿120

120.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 SEK 14.40

$2.18 ฿71.8

-30.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 SEK 29.59

$1.90 ฿62.6

64.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 33.27

$2.20 ฿72.4

59.55%

Eggs

$4.41 SEK 41.83

$2.22 ฿73.2

98.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 SEK 115

$19.99 ฿658

-39.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 SEK 109

$3.66 ฿121

214.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.97 SEK 199

$13.25 ฿436

58.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 SEK 32.10

$3.23 ฿106

4.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.48

$1.70 ฿55.9

70.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 31.23

$2.39 ฿78.8

37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 SEK 47.19

$2.08 ฿68.4

139.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 14.74

$1.59 ฿52.4

-2.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 17.96

$1.48 ฿48.83

27.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 SEK 23.64

$1.03 ฿33.90

141.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 SEK 11.22

$0.52 ฿17.01

126.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.35 SEK 69.7

$4.25 ฿140

72.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 SEK 101

$18.79 ฿618

-43.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.62

$1.76 ฿57.8

17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 SEK 11.92

$2.76 ฿90.8

-54.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 SEK 27.77

$1.36 ฿44.79

115.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 SEK 709

$11.36 ฿374

558.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 SEK 49.69

$3.14 ฿103

66.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 SEK 25.14

$1.04 ฿34.10

154.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.3 SEK 534

$13.77 ฿453

308.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 SEK 18.91

$1.34 ฿44.26

48.51%

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

$32.3K SEK 305.8K

$27.7K ฿911.1K

16.53%

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

$34.3K SEK 325.0K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

1.22%

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

$157 SEK 1,491

$124 ฿4,069

27.26%

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

$21.27 SEK 202

$13.52 ฿445

57.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.22 SEK 296

$18.69 ฿615

67.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.03 SEK 389

$61.8 ฿2,035

-33.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 SEK 240

$17.25 ฿568

46.84%

Cinema Ticket

$16.62 SEK 158

$9.14 ฿301

81.84%

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

$161 SEK 1,526

$703 ฿23.1K

-77.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,144 SEK 39.3K

$15.9K ฿522.5K

-73.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 SEK 855

$59.5 ฿1,958

51.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.45 SEK 402

$35.07 ฿1,154

21.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 SEK 931

$115 ฿3,795

-14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,474

$84.1 ฿2,767

84.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 SEK 7,911

$619 ฿20.4K

34.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 SEK 6,195

$433 ฿14.2K

51.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 SEK 13.4K

$2,062 ฿67.9K

-31.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 SEK 10.4K

$1,511 ฿49.7K

-27.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,916 SEK 65.6K

$3,646 ฿120.0K

89.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,720 SEK 35.3K

$2,626 ฿86.4K

41.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,323 SEK 31.5K

$507 ฿16.7K

555.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

5.33

-64.35%

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

Last update for Varberg: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $834 in Varberg and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varberg pays 555% 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: $84.0 in Varberg vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 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

Varberg 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 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Varberg pays 555% 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: $834 in Varberg versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in Varberg versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Varberg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,810 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 43% less than in Varberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.