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: $1,814 in Varnamo versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Varnamo versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,842 in Varnamo versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Varnamo is roughly 47% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varnamo is 35% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.57 SEK 117

$4.63 ฿151

171.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 SEK 812

$46.84 ฿1,532

86.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 SEK 113

$8.84 ฿289

37.90%

Cappuccino

$5.05 SEK 46.93

$3.00 ฿98.0

68.33%

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

$2.84 SEK 26.38

$0.74 ฿24.25

283.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.28

$0.37 ฿11.95

459.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 SEK 74.4

$2.44 ฿79.8

227.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.51 SEK 69.8

$3.61 ฿118

108.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 SEK 14.90

$2.26 ฿73.9

-29.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 SEK 19.83

$1.84 ฿60.1

15.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 27.34

$2.24 ฿73.4

31.25%

Eggs

$4.44 SEK 41.29

$2.32 ฿75.7

91.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 SEK 122

$19.67 ฿643

-33.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.74 SEK 109

$3.65 ฿119

221.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 157

$13.10 ฿428

28.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 29.50

$3.39 ฿111

-6.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 26.23

$1.64 ฿53.7

71.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 25.75

$2.41 ฿79.0

14.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 42.07

$2.03 ฿66.4

122.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 SEK 15.69

$1.56 ฿50.9

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 14.83

$1.50 ฿48.94

6.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 SEK 24.78

$1.02 ฿33.50

160.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 11.89

$0.49 ฿16.00

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.20 SEK 76.3

$4.45 ฿145

84.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.22 SEK 114

$18.88 ฿617

-35.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SEK 18.80

$1.78 ฿58.1

13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 20.91

$2.75 ฿90.1

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 SEK 32.36

$1.40 ฿45.81

148.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 SEK 686

$11.48 ฿376

542.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 SEK 52.2

$3.12 ฿102

79.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 SEK 23.77

$1.00 ฿32.67

156.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.8 SEK 593

$14.09 ฿461

352.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.61

$1.35 ฿44.19

40.00%

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

$32.7K SEK 303.8K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

20.16%

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

$34.1K SEK 316.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

3.47%

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

$123 SEK 1,141

$125 ฿4,087

-1.80%

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

$29.26 SEK 272

$13.57 ฿444

115.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.11 SEK 373

$18.52 ฿606

116.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.27 SEK 384

$61.5 ฿2,010

-32.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 SEK 231

$16.84 ฿551

47.74%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 SEK 165

$9.19 ฿300

92.60%

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

$179 SEK 1,664

$698 ฿22.8K

-74.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,165 SEK 38.7K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-73.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 SEK 746

$57.8 ฿1,889

38.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 SEK 567

$35.24 ฿1,152

73.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 SEK 986

$113 ฿3,699

-6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 SEK 1,181

$86.4 ฿2,825

47.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 SEK 7,743

$616 ฿20.1K

35.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 SEK 6,169

$446 ฿14.6K

48.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 SEK 12.8K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-32.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 SEK 9,902

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-28.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,394 SEK 40.9K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

16.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,014 SEK 28.0K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

13.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,169 SEK 20.2K

$524 ฿17.1K

314.14%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $833 in Varnamo and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varnamo pays 314% 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: $87.0 in Varnamo vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $292 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 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Varnamo pays 314% 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: $833 in Varnamo versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $179 in Varnamo versus $698 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 $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,814 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 47% less than in Varnamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.