Cost of Living Comparison Between Kajaani and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kajaani and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,785 in Kajaani versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,661 in Kajaani versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,538 in Kajaani versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Kajaani is roughly 43% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kajaani is 34% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.80 €12.95

$4.55 ฿153

225.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.77 €40.05

$46.18 ฿1,554

-0.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 €8.80

$8.84 ฿298

13.80%

Cappuccino

$4.68 €4.09

$3.06 ฿103

52.94%

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

$2.62 €2.29

$0.73 ฿24.42

258.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.42

$0.40 ฿13.40

305.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.86 €6.88

$2.43 ฿81.8

223.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.20 €8.05

$3.78 ฿127

143.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.26 ฿76.0

-42.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.81 ฿60.9

26.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 €2.00

$2.25 ฿75.8

1.78%

Eggs

$2.83 €2.48

$2.25 ฿75.6

25.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 €7.55

$19.51 ฿656

-55.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €8.99

$3.65 ฿123

181.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.82 €18.21

$13.05 ฿439

59.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$3.23 ฿109

-38.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.64

$1.62 ฿54.4

15.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 €2.11

$2.38 ฿80.2

1.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 €4.06

$2.03 ฿68.2

128.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.53 ฿51.6

-7.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.50 ฿50.5

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.50

$0.98 ฿32.93

75.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.28

$0.52 ฿17.40

180.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 €12.17

$4.44 ฿149

213.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 €13.57

$18.32 ฿616

-15.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.66

$1.86 ฿62.7

63.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.09

$2.68 ฿90.2

31.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €3.01

$1.41 ฿47.49

143.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.6 €59.1

$11.70 ฿394

477.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 €6.96

$3.11 ฿105

155.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 €1.07

$1.04 ฿35.08

17.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 €55.1

$14.11 ฿475

346.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.31 ฿44.13

58.02%

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

$35.3K €30.9K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

27.08%

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

$31.4K €27.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-5.60%

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

$145 €127

$122 ฿4,120

18.79%

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

$29.70 €25.98

$13.59 ฿457

118.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.02 €17.51

$18.70 ฿629

7.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.40 €38.84

$60.5 ฿2,035

-26.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 €21.53

$16.98 ฿572

44.94%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 €14.25

$9.07 ฿305

79.60%

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

$327 €286

$706 ฿23.8K

-53.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,993 €6,993

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-49.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €95.6

$58.6 ฿1,970

86.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.32 €23.03

$35.36 ฿1,190

-25.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.0 €50.8

$115 ฿3,885

-49.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €92.1

$83.7 ฿2,818

25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 €678

$626 ฿21.1K

23.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 €571

$445 ฿15.0K

46.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 €1,141

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-36.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 €893

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-31.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,017 €3,515

$3,483 ฿117.2K

15.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,916 €1,677

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-25.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,049 €1,793

$500 ฿16.8K

309.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

5.33

-26.27%

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

Last update for Kajaani: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $775 in Kajaani and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kajaani pays 310% 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: $46.00 in Kajaani vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $289, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Kajaani vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Kajaani. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 310% higher in Kajaani, 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: $775 in Kajaani versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $327 in Kajaani versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Kajaani. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,785 in Kajaani, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kajaani. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,250 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kajaani 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 43% less than in Kajaani. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.