Cost of Living Comparison Between Varnamo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Varnamo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,803 in Varnamo versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,833 in Varnamo versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,863 in Varnamo versus $3,248 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Varnamo is 35% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.77 SEK 121

$4.48 ฿150

185.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 SEK 843

$45.59 ฿1,521

94.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 SEK 114

$8.76 ฿292

36.76%

Cappuccino

$4.93 SEK 46.85

$2.97 ฿99.0

65.99%

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

$2.87 SEK 27.24

$0.69 ฿22.90

315.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SEK 20.21

$0.39 ฿13.04

446.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.03 SEK 76.3

$2.53 ฿84.4

217.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 SEK 72.0

$3.75 ฿125

102.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 SEK 15.25

$2.15 ฿71.6

-25.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 SEK 20.55

$1.82 ฿60.6

18.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 SEK 29.04

$2.18 ฿72.9

40.37%

Eggs

$4.62 SEK 43.84

$2.25 ฿75.0

105.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.84 SEK 122

$20.00 ฿667

-35.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 SEK 111

$3.63 ฿121

222.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 SEK 163

$13.56 ฿452

26.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 SEK 30.47

$3.24 ฿108

-0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 SEK 27.22

$1.64 ฿54.6

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 27.45

$2.33 ฿77.8

24.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 SEK 42.23

$2.07 ฿69.1

114.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 16.49

$1.55 ฿51.6

12.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 15.06

$1.46 ฿48.54

8.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 24.27

$0.98 ฿32.86

160.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 SEK 11.82

$0.48 ฿16.09

158.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.84 SEK 74.5

$4.35 ฿145

80.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 SEK 107

$18.57 ฿620

-39.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 SEK 19.29

$1.86 ฿61.9

9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.21

$2.65 ฿88.6

-15.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 SEK 31.39

$1.42 ฿47.28

132.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 SEK 697

$11.57 ฿386

534.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 SEK 52.5

$3.17 ฿106

74.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 SEK 24.08

$1.03 ฿34.41

145.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.9 SEK 607

$13.89 ฿463

360.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 SEK 18.69

$1.34 ฿44.84

47.01%

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

$32.3K SEK 306.9K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

16.24%

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

$34.2K SEK 325.1K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

2.53%

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

$119 SEK 1,132

$123 ฿4,105

-3.14%

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

$29.16 SEK 277

$13.77 ฿459

111.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.96 SEK 389

$18.33 ฿611

123.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.18 SEK 391

$60.7 ฿2,025

-32.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.42 SEK 242

$17.16 ฿573

48.14%

Cinema Ticket

$18.14 SEK 172

$8.87 ฿296

104.51%

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

$176 SEK 1,674

$688 ฿22.9K

-74.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,148 SEK 39.4K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-73.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.4 SEK 774

$59.3 ฿1,978

37.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 SEK 577

$34.69 ฿1,157

75.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 991

$115 ฿3,843

-9.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 SEK 1,217

$83.8 ฿2,794

53.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 8,094

$621 ฿20.7K

37.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 SEK 6,320

$446 ฿14.9K

49.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 SEK 13.2K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-31.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 SEK 10.4K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-26.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,181 SEK 39.7K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

21.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,906 SEK 27.6K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

14.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,092 SEK 19.9K

$494 ฿16.5K

323.85%

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 Varnamo: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $852 in Varnamo and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varnamo pays 324% 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: $89.0 in Varnamo vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $291 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

Varnamo 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.

Average pay runs 324% higher in Varnamo, 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: $852 in Varnamo versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Varnamo versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Varnamo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,803 in Varnamo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Varnamo. 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 Varnamo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Varnamo 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 Varnamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.