Cost of Living Comparison Between Oldham and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Oldham and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,056 in Oldham versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,034 in Oldham versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,013 in Oldham versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Oldham is roughly 64% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oldham is 54% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.99 £14.88

$4.55 ฿153

339.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 £66.8

$46.18 ฿1,553

94.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 £7.71

$8.84 ฿297

17.19%

Cappuccino

$4.62 £3.44

$3.06 ฿103

50.98%

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

$2.58 £1.92

$0.73 ฿24.40

253.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.31

$0.40 ฿13.39

340.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 £5.20

$2.43 ฿81.8

187.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 £4.57

$3.78 ฿127

62.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.17

$2.26 ฿76.0

-30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.81 ฿60.9

-0.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 £2.51

$2.25 ฿75.8

49.78%

Eggs

$4.04 £3.01

$2.25 ฿75.5

79.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 £7.78

$19.51 ฿656

-46.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 £7.24

$3.65 ฿123

166.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.45 £12.99

$13.05 ฿439

33.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 £2.49

$3.23 ฿109

3.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.62 ฿54.4

17.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 £2.36

$2.38 ฿80.1

33.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 £2.81

$2.03 ฿68.1

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.35

$1.53 ฿51.6

18.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.50 ฿50.5

25.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$0.98 ฿32.91

27.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 £1.06

$0.52 ฿17.39

175.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.21 £13.56

$4.44 ฿149

310.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 £7.41

$18.32 ฿616

-45.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.13

$1.86 ฿62.7

53.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 £2.60

$2.68 ฿90.1

30.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 £2.59

$1.41 ฿47.46

146.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.2 £62.0

$11.70 ฿393

611.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.08

$3.11 ฿105

76.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.04 ฿35.06

60.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.64 £25.79

$14.11 ฿474

145.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.31 ฿44.10

45.80%

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

$38.1K £28.4K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

36.92%

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

$40.8K £30.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

22.81%

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

$303 £225

$122 ฿4,118

147.33%

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

$23.26 £17.31

$13.59 ฿457

71.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.37 £32.29

$18.70 ฿629

131.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.92 £34.93

$60.5 ฿2,034

-22.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 £9.77

$9.07 ฿305

44.65%

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

$1,603 £1,194

$706 ฿23.8K

126.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,714 £4,999

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-57.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 £66.9

$58.6 ฿1,969

53.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 £31.67

$35.36 ฿1,189

20.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 £67.4

$115 ฿3,883

-21.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 £54.4

$83.7 ฿2,816

-12.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 £893

$626 ฿21.0K

91.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$736 £548

$445 ฿15.0K

65.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 £1,079

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-28.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 £806

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-27.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,811 £4,326

$3,483 ฿117.1K

66.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,452 £1,825

$500 ฿16.8K

390.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

5.33

5.07%

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

Last update for Oldham: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,199 in Oldham and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oldham pays 391% 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 Oldham vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $289 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

Oldham vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oldham and Phuket differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,056 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 391% higher in Oldham, 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: $1,199 in Oldham versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 611% less than in Oldham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,603 in Oldham versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,056 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.

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.

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.

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.