Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oldham and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,982 in Oldham, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Oldham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,982
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oldham and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oldham and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,982 in Oldham versus $1,208 in Phuket.

  • Oldham $1,982
  • Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,932 in Oldham versus $2,027 in Phuket.

  • Oldham $2,932
  • Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,883 in Oldham versus $2,845 in Phuket.

  • Oldham $3,883
  • Phuket $2,845

Living in Oldham is roughly 64% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oldham is 46% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oldham
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.67 £14.75
$4.40 ฿147
347.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.1 £66.1
$32.26 ฿1,078
173.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.56 £7.17
$8.76 ฿293
9.13%
Cappuccino
$4.79 £3.59
$2.83 ฿94.5
69.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 £2.20
$0.90 ฿30.14
225.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 £1.49
$0.47 ฿15.56
323.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.24 £5.43
$2.55 ฿85.2
183.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.74 £5.06
$3.83 ฿128
75.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oldham
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 £1.10
$1.73 ฿57.7
-15.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.69 £1.27
$1.47 ฿49.11
14.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.95 £2.21
$1.51 ฿50.6
95.36%
Eggs
$4.05 £3.04
$2.17 ฿72.7
86.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.83 £7.37
$19.70 ฿658
-50.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.81 £6.61
$3.34 ฿112
163.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.54 £11.66
$11.16 ฿373
39.25%
Apples (1kg)
$3.15 £2.36
$2.85 ฿95.1
10.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 £1.40
$1.70 ฿56.9
9.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 £2.14
$2.19 ฿73.3
30.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.46 £2.59
$2.05 ฿68.4
68.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.49 £1.11
$1.45 ฿48.57
2.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.60 £1.20
$1.38 ฿46.16
15.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 £0.90
$1.07 ฿35.69
12.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 £0.92
$0.51 ฿16.91
141.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.63 £17.73
$4.26 ฿142
454.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.86 £8.15
$18.58 ฿621
-41.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.76 £2.07
$1.78 ฿59.7
55.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 £2.34
$2.85 ฿95.2
9.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Oldham
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.61 £1.96
$2.26 ฿75.6
15.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$95.7 £71.8
$22.10 ฿738
332.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.21 £2.41
$3.01 ฿101
6.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 £1.52
$1.06 ฿35.34
90.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.03 £22.53
$3.86 ฿129
677.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 £1.59
$1.45 ฿48.45
46.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.7K
$26.3K ฿879.9K
45.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.8K £29.8K
$26.9K ฿900.4K
47.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oldham
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$251 £188
$96.4 ฿3,221
160.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.94 £12.71
$11.04 ฿369
53.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.55 £30.43
$17.14 ฿573
136.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oldham
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.14 £32.36
$52.2 ฿1,744
-17.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.16 ฿373
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.18 £9.89
$7.81 ฿261
68.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oldham
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,290 £968
$556 ฿18.6K
132.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.7K £14.8K
$11.6K ฿387.0K
70.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oldham
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.1 £65.3
$64.2 ฿2,146
35.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.43 £31.08
$28.69 ฿959
44.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.5 £70.2
$95.4 ฿3,187
-1.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.3 £65.5
$88.0 ฿2,940
-0.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oldham
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 £917
$737 ฿24.6K
65.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$728 £546
$462 ฿15.5K
57.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,368 £1,026
$2,095 ฿70.0K
-34.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,093 £820
$1,201 ฿40.1K
-9.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,063 £3,798
$3,488 ฿116.6K
45.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,336 £2,503
$2,523 ฿84.3K
32.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oldham
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,483 £1,863
$501 ฿16.7K
395.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.82
5.57
-13.46%

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

Last update for Oldham: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oldham
$728
Phuket
$462 36.5% $266
Eating Out
Oldham
$313
Phuket
$121 61.2% $192
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oldham
$309
Phuket
$125 59.6% $184
Groceries & Markets
Oldham
$304
Phuket
$269 11.7% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Oldham
$139
Phuket
$124 10.7% $15
Getting Around
Oldham
$119
Phuket
$39 67% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Oldham
$70
Phuket
$68 2.5% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Oldham and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oldham pays 396% 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: $88.0 in Oldham vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Oldham
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
07:12 7:12 AM
13:12 1:12 PM
6 h ahead of Oldham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
110,718
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oldham Phuket 9,990 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Oldham
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Oldham vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Oldham and in Phuket?
Oldham and Phuket differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,982 vs $1,208 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Oldham or Phuket?
Average pay runs 396% higher in Oldham, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Oldham and in Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,222 in Oldham versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Oldham and in Phuket?
A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 333% less than in Oldham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Oldham and Phuket?
Childcare runs $1,290 in Oldham versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,982 in Oldham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Oldham. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Oldham and Phuket?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Oldham or Phuket safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Oldham 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.
Where should expats move: Oldham or Phuket?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Oldham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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