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Phuket vs Stockholm cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐น๐ญ Phuket
๐ธ๐ช Stockholm
At a glance
- Where Phuket is clearly cheaper: Haircut (86%โ), Bottled water (86%โ), Massage (85%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Stockholm is easier to travel (1.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Phuket 4 vs Stockholm 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Phuket | Stockholm | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เธฟ 130$3.94 | kr 150$14.4 | Phuket โ73% |
| Street food1 item | เธฟ 80$2.42 | kr 90$8.65 | Phuket โ72% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เธฟ 450$13.6 | kr 360$34.6 | Phuket โ61% |
| Coffeeone cup | เธฟ 80$2.42 | kr 55$5.29 | Phuket โ54% |
| Beerone bottle | เธฟ 110$3.33 | kr 85$8.17 | Phuket โ59% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เธฟ 250$7.58 | kr 150$14.4 | Phuket โ47% |
| Bottled water | เธฟ 12$0.36 | kr 27$2.6 | Phuket โ86% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เธฟ 25$0.76 | kr 30$2.88 | Phuket โ74% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เธฟ 200$6.06 | kr 200$19.2 | Phuket โ68% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เธฟ 100$3.03 | kr 130$12.5 | Phuket โ76% |
| Transitone ride | เธฟ 40$1.21 | kr 43$4.13 | Phuket โ71% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เธฟ 300$9.09 | kr 300$28.8 | Phuket โ68% |
| Hotel night3-star | เธฟ 2,000$60.6 | kr 1,600$154 | Phuket โ61% |
| Studio rent (month) | เธฟ 16,000$485 | kr 15,000$1,442 | Phuket โ66% |
| Laundry | เธฟ 50$1.52 | kr 52$5 | Phuket โ70% |
| SIM card1 week data | เธฟ 299$9.06 | kr 150$14.4 | Phuket โ37% |
| Haircutcut | เธฟ 150$4.55 | kr 350$33.7 | Phuket โ86% |
| Massage1 hour | เธฟ 350$10.6 | kr 750$72.1 | Phuket โ85% |
| Half-day tourper person | เธฟ 1,000$30.3 | kr 500$48.1 | Phuket โ37% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เธฟ 200$6.06 | kr 200$19.2 | Phuket โ68% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Phuket or Stockholm?
Phuket is 63% cheaper than Stockholm. Daily budget $109 vs $296; a month $2,006 vs $5,339.
Which is easier to travel, Phuket or Stockholm?
Stockholm is easier: Stockholm 1.4/5 vs Phuket 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Phuket and Stockholm?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Phuket is about $2,006 and Stockholm about $5,339 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.