Cost of Living Comparison Between Vasteras and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Vasteras and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,719 in Vasteras versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,758 in Vasteras versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,797 in Vasteras versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Vasteras is roughly 36% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vasteras is 28% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.87 SEK 140

$4.70 ฿154

216.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 SEK 643

$45.37 ฿1,483

50.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 SEK 97.5

$8.43 ฿276

23.13%

Cappuccino

$4.45 SEK 41.79

$2.93 ฿95.7

51.88%

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

$2.83 SEK 26.55

$0.69 ฿22.42

310.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 23.41

$0.37 ฿12.00

572.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 SEK 73.7

$2.41 ฿78.7

225.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 SEK 68.9

$3.72 ฿122

97.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 SEK 14.99

$2.23 ฿73.0

-28.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SEK 25.04

$1.83 ฿59.9

45.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 SEK 35.57

$2.17 ฿70.9

74.65%

Eggs

$4.07 SEK 38.21

$2.21 ฿72.4

84.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 SEK 110

$19.74 ฿645

-40.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.59 SEK 118

$3.63 ฿119

246.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.73 SEK 148

$13.53 ฿442

16.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 SEK 31.27

$3.28 ฿107

1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 SEK 24.33

$1.61 ฿52.7

60.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 SEK 33.73

$2.41 ฿78.7

48.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 SEK 35.60

$2.08 ฿68.1

82.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 14.54

$1.53 ฿49.97

1.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 SEK 18.79

$1.48 ฿48.41

35.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 SEK 25.41

$0.99 ฿32.32

173.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SEK 16.26

$0.51 ฿16.68

239.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 SEK 68.2

$4.41 ฿144

64.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 SEK 135

$19.38 ฿634

-25.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 SEK 13.18

$1.78 ฿58.1

-21.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SEK 17.73

$2.71 ฿88.7

-30.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 SEK 32.43

$1.37 ฿44.83

151.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 SEK 688

$11.39 ฿372

542.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 SEK 34.89

$3.02 ฿98.7

22.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 SEK 15.45

$0.99 ฿32.51

65.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.6 SEK 804

$14.10 ฿461

507.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.37

$1.36 ฿44.55

44.12%

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

$32.9K SEK 309.0K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

16.65%

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

$34.8K SEK 327.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

5.88%

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

$91.0 SEK 855

$122 ฿3,978

-25.22%

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

$29.29 SEK 275

$13.57 ฿444

115.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.93 SEK 347

$18.31 ฿599

101.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.70 SEK 345

$60.2 ฿1,969

-39.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 SEK 195

$17.14 ฿560

21.00%

Cinema Ticket

$19.27 SEK 181

$8.69 ฿284

121.75%

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

$156 SEK 1,463

$693 ฿22.7K

-77.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,313 SEK 49.9K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-66.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 SEK 884

$59.5 ฿1,946

58.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.89 SEK 393

$34.77 ฿1,137

20.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 SEK 879

$115 ฿3,746

-18.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SEK 1,170

$83.3 ฿2,723

49.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 SEK 7,743

$613 ฿20.0K

34.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 SEK 5,551

$437 ฿14.3K

35.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 SEK 13.9K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-29.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 SEK 10.6K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-25.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 SEK 37.0K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

5.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,666 SEK 25.0K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

1.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,207 SEK 30.1K

$508 ฿16.6K

531.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

5.33

-8.63%

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

Last update for Vasteras: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $824 in Vasteras and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vasteras pays 531% 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: $68.0 in Vasteras vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 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

Vasteras 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 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Vasteras pays 531% 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: $824 in Vasteras versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $156 in Vasteras versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Vasteras. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,719 in Vasteras, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vasteras. 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 Vasteras, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Vasteras 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 36% less than in Vasteras. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.