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: $1,692 in Ystad versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,716 in Ystad versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,740 in Ystad versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Ystad is roughly 37% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ystad is 24% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.41 SEK 122

$4.41 ฿147

181.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 SEK 884

$32.26 ฿1,077

177.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 SEK 104

$8.93 ฿298

17.92%

Cappuccino

$3.09 SEK 30.45

$2.90 ฿96.6

6.55%

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

$2.92 SEK 28.81

$0.88 ฿29.38

231.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 23.47

$0.48 ฿16.06

395.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 SEK 70.4

$2.35 ฿78.5

204.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 SEK 78.4

$3.72 ฿124

113.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 17.12

$1.87 ฿62.3

-6.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 SEK 27.85

$1.47 ฿48.94

92.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 31.73

$1.55 ฿51.8

107.74%

Eggs

$3.15 SEK 31.03

$2.10 ฿70.1

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.86 SEK 117

$19.59 ฿654

-39.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 SEK 93.9

$3.42 ฿114

178.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.36 SEK 171

$11.38 ฿380

52.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 32.12

$2.98 ฿99.6

9.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 25.37

$1.68 ฿56.2

52.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 31.50

$2.21 ฿73.7

44.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 SEK 43.38

$2.16 ฿72.1

103.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.51

$1.52 ฿50.9

10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 SEK 16.61

$1.34 ฿44.67

26.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 SEK 19.88

$1.13 ฿37.67

78.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 SEK 17.32

$0.55 ฿18.24

220.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.54 SEK 84.2

$4.26 ฿142

100.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.57 SEK 124

$19.09 ฿637

-34.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.67

$1.78 ฿59.4

23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 22.06

$2.78 ฿92.9

-19.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.35 SEK 33.05

$2.23 ฿74.4

50.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 SEK 788

$22.74 ฿759

251.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 SEK 61.9

$3.03 ฿101

107.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 SEK 17.50

$1.02 ฿34.15

74.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.4 SEK 615

$3.89 ฿130

1504.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 19.05

$1.49 ฿49.77

29.53%

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

$30.8K SEK 303.0K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

15.69%

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

$35.5K SEK 350.2K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

31.46%

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

$106 SEK 1,046

$102 ฿3,420

3.54%

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

$19.40 SEK 191

$11.33 ฿378

71.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.45 SEK 310

$17.40 ฿581

80.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.48 SEK 389

$52.1 ฿1,738

-24.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.20 SEK 258

$11.07 ฿370

136.68%

Cinema Ticket

$12.39 SEK 122

$7.69 ฿257

61.12%

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

$187 SEK 1,841

$561 ฿18.7K

-66.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,588 SEK 45.2K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-60.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 SEK 516

$63.0 ฿2,104

-16.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 SEK 334

$29.52 ฿986

14.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 SEK 927

$98.0 ฿3,272

-4.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,335

$88.5 ฿2,954

53.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 SEK 8,324

$738 ฿24.6K

14.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 SEK 5,953

$482 ฿16.1K

25.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 SEK 14.1K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-32.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 SEK 10.3K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-14.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,229 SEK 41.7K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

16.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,901 SEK 28.6K

$2,603 ฿86.9K

11.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,914 SEK 18.9K

$494 ฿16.5K

287.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

5.57

-45.06%

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

Last update for Ystad: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $845 in Ystad and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ystad pays 288% 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: $90.0 in Ystad vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $274 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 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 288% higher in Ystad, 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: $845 in Ystad versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $187 in Ystad versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Ystad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,692 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 37% less than in Ystad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.