Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varberg and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,635 in Varberg, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Varberg
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Varberg Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Varberg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,635

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varberg and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Varberg and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,635 in Varberg versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Varberg $1,635
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,623 in Varberg versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Varberg $2,623
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,610 in Varberg versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Varberg $3,610
Phuket $3,154

Living in Varberg is roughly 28% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varberg is 20% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.35 SEK 153

$4.47 ฿151

243.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 SEK 760

$32.41 ฿1,094

135.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 SEK 102

$8.81 ฿297

15.78%

Cappuccino

$3.83 SEK 38.12

$2.83 ฿95.5

35.34%

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

$1.19 SEK 11.84

$0.87 ฿29.43

36.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 SEK 10.15

$0.49 ฿16.67

108.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 SEK 61.5

$2.56 ฿86.4

141.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.42 SEK 73.9

$3.68 ฿124

101.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 SEK 14.20

$1.66 ฿56.0

-13.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 SEK 29.49

$1.46 ฿49.35

102.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 SEK 34.23

$1.50 ฿50.6

129.33%

Eggs

$4.13 SEK 41.08

$2.09 ฿70.5

97.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 SEK 127

$19.07 ฿644

-33.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 SEK 108

$3.30 ฿111

229.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.85 SEK 198

$10.91 ฿368

81.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 SEK 29.56

$2.93 ฿99.0

1.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 SEK 25.15

$1.69 ฿57.1

49.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 SEK 29.31

$2.25 ฿75.8

31.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 SEK 41.88

$2.08 ฿70.1

102.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 SEK 14.63

$1.51 ฿51.0

-2.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 SEK 14.78

$1.38 ฿46.56

7.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 SEK 25.21

$1.07 ฿35.99

136.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 SEK 9.67

$0.52 ฿17.52

86.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 SEK 67.4

$4.20 ฿142

61.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.24 SEK 102

$18.79 ฿634

-45.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 20.59

$1.82 ฿61.5

13.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 SEK 11.74

$2.84 ฿95.9

-58.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 SEK 29.22

$1.45 ฿49.03

102.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.8 SEK 774

$56.7 ฿1,913

37.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 SEK 49.11

$3.02 ฿102

63.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 SEK 23.94

$1.02 ฿34.36

136.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.63 SEK 494

$3.69 ฿125

1244.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 18.04

$1.47 ฿49.81

23.13%

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

$33.0K SEK 328.3K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

23.18%

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

$33.6K SEK 334.2K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

25.83%

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

$141 SEK 1,403

$96.4 ฿3,254

46.28%

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

$19.92 SEK 198

$11.26 ฿380

76.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 SEK 295

$16.85 ฿569

76.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.37 SEK 402

$67.2 ฿2,270

-39.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.39 SEK 402

$10.73 ฿362

276.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.84 SEK 158

$7.50 ฿253

111.20%

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

$149 SEK 1,481

$476 ฿16.1K

-68.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,455 SEK 34.4K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-69.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 SEK 705

$62.4 ฿2,106

13.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.23 SEK 400

$28.41 ฿959

41.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 SEK 1,079

$94.3 ฿3,184

15.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 SEK 1,482

$85.8 ฿2,898

73.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 SEK 7,943

$716 ฿24.2K

11.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 SEK 4,926

$491 ฿16.6K

0.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 SEK 12.1K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-36.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 SEK 9,106

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-36.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,532 SEK 65.0K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

56.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 SEK 35.5K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

17.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,103 SEK 30.9K

$502 ฿17.0K

517.89%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Varberg

$495 30.3%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 0.8% $4.1

Groceries & Markets

Varberg

$352 21.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 24.3% $85

Eating Out

Varberg

$254 15.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 52.1% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varberg

$191 11.7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 34.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Varberg

$166 10.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 26.5% $44

Getting Around

Varberg

$107 6.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 33.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Varberg

$72 4.4%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 14.1% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $798 in Varberg and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varberg pays about 6.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $76 in Varberg vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Varberg

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

18:03 6:03 PM

6 h ahead of Varberg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,602

79,308

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.05 USD

100 SEK = 9.03 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.95 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.03 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Varberg Phuket 9,040 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Varberg
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Varberg is about 6.2 times higher, 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: $798 in Varberg versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $149 in Varberg versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Varberg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,635 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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 22% less than in Varberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.