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: $1,918 in Vasteras versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,919 in Vasteras versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,920 in Vasteras versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Vasteras is roughly 53% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vasteras is 40% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.84 SEK 141

$4.56 ฿150

225.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 SEK 638

$32.62 ฿1,073

105.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 SEK 100

$8.90 ฿293

17.87%

Cappuccino

$4.57 SEK 43.57

$2.80 ฿92.2

63.21%

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

$2.44 SEK 23.22

$0.88 ฿28.94

177.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 21.17

$0.49 ฿16.08

353.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 SEK 69.9

$2.39 ฿78.5

206.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 SEK 69.5

$3.71 ฿122

96.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 SEK 14.00

$1.79 ฿58.8

-17.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 SEK 29.91

$1.44 ฿47.40

118.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 SEK 35.88

$1.58 ฿52.1

137.97%

Eggs

$4.21 SEK 40.11

$2.13 ฿69.9

97.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.34 SEK 118

$19.92 ฿655

-38.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.49 SEK 129

$3.43 ฿113

293.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.27 SEK 222

$11.33 ฿372

105.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 SEK 30.98

$2.95 ฿97.0

10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 SEK 24.27

$1.72 ฿56.6

48.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 SEK 35.56

$2.32 ฿76.5

60.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 SEK 38.90

$2.08 ฿68.4

96.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 SEK 14.16

$1.47 ฿48.34

1.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 SEK 17.03

$1.36 ฿44.65

31.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 SEK 21.34

$1.10 ฿36.13

103.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 SEK 14.49

$0.57 ฿18.89

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.47 SEK 71.3

$4.27 ฿140

74.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.29 SEK 117

$18.42 ฿606

-33.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 SEK 13.27

$1.87 ฿61.5

-25.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 21.14

$2.92 ฿96.1

-23.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 SEK 32.53

$2.22 ฿73.0

53.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 SEK 695

$22.90 ฿753

218.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 SEK 33.90

$3.03 ฿99.6

17.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.94 SEK 28.08

$1.07 ฿35.32

174.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.1 SEK 812

$3.93 ฿129

2066.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 SEK 17.63

$1.49 ฿49.06

24.16%

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

$34.6K SEK 329.4K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

27.37%

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

$34.8K SEK 331.3K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

26.59%

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

$188 SEK 1,788

$103 ฿3,380

82.43%

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

$23.51 SEK 224

$10.99 ฿361

113.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.39 SEK 433

$17.51 ฿576

159.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.95 SEK 333

$53.5 ฿1,760

-34.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 SEK 203

$11.20 ฿368

89.73%

Cinema Ticket

$17.16 SEK 164

$7.48 ฿246

129.41%

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

$156 SEK 1,484

$557 ฿18.3K

-72.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 SEK 49.3K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-56.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 SEK 1,045

$64.1 ฿2,107

71.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.98 SEK 391

$29.07 ฿956

40.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 SEK 859

$96.0 ฿3,155

-6.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 SEK 1,340

$90.3 ฿2,970

55.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 SEK 7,328

$730 ฿24.0K

5.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 SEK 5,916

$500 ฿16.4K

24.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 SEK 13.3K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-33.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 SEK 9,972

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-13.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,789 SEK 36.1K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

5.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,552 SEK 24.3K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

1.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,133 SEK 29.9K

$503 ฿16.6K

522.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

5.57

-36.62%

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

Last update for Vasteras: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Vasteras and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vasteras pays 522% 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: $67.0 in Vasteras vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $273 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 522% higher in Vasteras, 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: $769 in Vasteras versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $156 in Vasteras versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Vasteras. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,918 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 53% less than in Vasteras. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.