Cost of Living Comparison Between Ystad and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ystad and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,718 in Ystad versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Ystad versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,725 in Ystad versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Ystad is roughly 39% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ystad is 28% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 SEK 106

$4.63 ฿151

146.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 SEK 851

$46.84 ฿1,532

95.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 SEK 96.7

$8.84 ฿289

17.53%

Cappuccino

$3.96 SEK 36.80

$3.00 ฿98.0

32.00%

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

$3.10 SEK 28.87

$0.74 ฿24.25

318.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.29

$0.37 ฿11.95

605.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.41 SEK 59.6

$2.44 ฿79.8

162.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 SEK 72.6

$3.61 ฿118

116.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.20

$2.26 ฿73.9

-23.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 SEK 26.97

$1.84 ฿60.1

57.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 SEK 31.00

$2.24 ฿73.4

48.66%

Eggs

$3.07 SEK 28.55

$2.32 ฿75.7

32.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 SEK 109

$19.67 ฿643

-40.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 SEK 88.1

$3.65 ฿119

159.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 SEK 175

$13.10 ฿428

43.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 SEK 28.08

$3.39 ฿111

-10.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 25.76

$1.64 ฿53.7

68.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 SEK 27.66

$2.41 ฿79.0

23.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 39.45

$2.03 ฿66.4

108.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 SEK 16.29

$1.56 ฿50.9

12.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.25

$1.50 ฿48.94

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 SEK 21.25

$1.02 ฿33.50

124.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 14.93

$0.49 ฿16.00

228.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.84 SEK 72.9

$4.45 ฿145

76.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 SEK 110

$18.88 ฿617

-37.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 20.65

$1.78 ฿58.1

24.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.53

$2.75 ฿90.1

-8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.24

$1.40 ฿45.81

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 SEK 697

$11.48 ฿376

553.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 SEK 93.9

$3.12 ฿102

223.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 SEK 14.76

$1.00 ฿32.67

59.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.4 SEK 589

$14.09 ฿461

349.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.55

$1.35 ฿44.19

40.00%

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

$26.3K SEK 244.5K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-3.27%

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

$30.3K SEK 281.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-7.95%

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

$123 SEK 1,141

$125 ฿4,087

-1.83%

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

$20.71 SEK 193

$13.57 ฿444

52.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 SEK 298

$18.52 ฿606

72.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.24 SEK 384

$61.5 ฿2,010

-32.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.56 SEK 238

$16.84 ฿551

51.78%

Cinema Ticket

$12.53 SEK 117

$9.19 ฿300

36.34%

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

$177 SEK 1,646

$698 ฿22.8K

-74.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,148 SEK 38.6K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-73.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 SEK 492

$57.8 ฿1,889

-8.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.47 SEK 367

$35.24 ฿1,152

12.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 SEK 874

$113 ฿3,699

-16.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,451

$86.4 ฿2,825

80.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 7,921

$616 ฿20.1K

38.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 SEK 6,124

$446 ฿14.6K

47.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 SEK 13.2K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-30.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 SEK 9,957

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-28.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,423 SEK 41.1K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

17.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,203 SEK 29.8K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

20.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,996 SEK 18.6K

$524 ฿17.1K

281.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-24.95%

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

Last update for Ystad: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $852 in Ystad and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ystad pays 281% 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: $92.0 in Ystad vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 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

Ystad 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 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ystad pays 281% 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: $852 in Ystad versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $177 in Ystad 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 21% higher in Ystad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,718 in Ystad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ystad. 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 Ystad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ystad 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 39% less than in Ystad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.