Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oulu and Brighton

For one person, living is cheaper in Oulu: $1,871 a month against $2,942 in Brighton, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Oulu
🇫🇮 Finland
$1,871
/mo nomad
Brighton
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,942
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oulu and in Brighton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,871 in Oulu versus $2,942 in Brighton.

  • Oulu $1,871
  • Brighton $2,942

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,892 in Oulu versus $4,181 in Brighton.

  • Oulu $2,892
  • Brighton $4,181

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,913 in Oulu versus $5,419 in Brighton.

  • Oulu $3,913
  • Brighton $5,419

Living in Oulu costs roughly 36% less than in Brighton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oulu 39% above, Brighton 118% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oulu
Brighton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.63 €15.68
$25.55 £19.17
-31.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.7 €80.7
$95.3 £71.5
-4.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.95 €13.30
$9.69 £7.27
54.28%
Cappuccino
$5.01 €4.46
$5.23 £3.92
-4.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 €2.51
$3.95 £2.96
-28.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 €1.98
$3.28 £2.46
-32.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.64 €6.79
$8.92 £6.69
-14.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.04 €7.15
$9.31 £6.99
-13.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oulu
Brighton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.93 £1.45
-40.93%
White Bread (500g)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.05 £1.54
9.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.64 €2.34
$2.09 £1.57
26.32%
Eggs
$3.19 €2.83
$4.35 £3.27
-26.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.31 €6.50
$11.72 £8.79
-37.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.29 €11.82
$9.17 £6.88
44.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.17 €20.61
$14.93 £11.20
55.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 €2.04
$3.01 £2.26
-23.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.92 €1.70
$1.92 £1.44
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$2.97 £2.23
-29.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.39 €3.91
$3.64 £2.73
20.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.02 €0.90
$2.11 £1.58
-51.66%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 €1.50
$1.82 £1.36
-7.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.58 €2.29
$1.17 £0.88
120.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 €1.42
$1.71 £1.28
-6.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.01 €11.57
$23.81 £17.86
-45.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.32 €10.96
$11.15 £8.36
10.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.77 €3.35
$3.01 £2.26
25.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 €2.78
$3.13 £2.35
-
🚌 Getting Around
Oulu
Brighton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.94 €2.62
$3.98 £2.98
-26.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.8 €54.9
$127 £95.4
-51.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.61 €8.55
$5.05 £3.79
90.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 €1.41
$2.68 £2.01
-41.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$55.3 €49.15
$39.01 £29.26
41.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.29 €2.03
$2.15 £1.61
6.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.3K €32.3K
$38.3K £28.7K
-5.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9K €33.7K
$39.8K £29.9K
-4.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oulu
Brighton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$118 €105
$286 £214
-58.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.41 €22.60
$16.41 £12.31
54.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.26 €18.91
$44.94 £33.72
-52.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oulu
Brighton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.53 €31.60
$51.0 £38.27
-30.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.14 €17.02
$27.55 £20.67
-30.53%
Cinema Ticket
$17.62 €15.67
$17.57 £13.18
0.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oulu
Brighton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$354 €315
$2,053 £1,540
-82.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$29.8K £22.4K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oulu
Brighton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.2 €82.9
$89.5 £67.1
4.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.97 €40.00
$44.65 £33.49
0.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €95.7
$104 £77.7
3.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$214 €190
$88.1 £66.1
142.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oulu
Brighton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$763 €679
$1,895 £1,421
-59.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$664 €590
$1,486 £1,115
-55.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,313 €1,167
$2,863 £2,147
-54.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,017 €904
$2,185 £1,639
-53.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,890 €3,460
$8,414 £6,312
-53.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,984 €1,764
$6,196 £4,648
-67.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oulu
Brighton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,502 €2,225
$3,403 £2,553
-26.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.1
5.12
-19.92%

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

Last update for Oulu: October 10, 2026

Last update for Brighton: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oulu
$664
Brighton
$1.5K 124% $822
Groceries & Markets
Oulu
$354
Brighton
$327 7.7% $27
Eating Out
Oulu
$321
Brighton
$388 21.2% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Oulu
$207
Brighton
$147 29.1% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oulu
$164
Brighton
$347 111% $183
Getting Around
Oulu
$91
Brighton
$161 77.4% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Oulu
$71
Brighton
$86 21.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Oulu and $1,895 in Brighton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brighton pays 36% 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: $91.0 in Oulu vs $95.0 in Brighton. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $327, with Brighton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇫🇮 Oulu
🇬🇧 Brighton
🕒 Local time
14:33 2:33 PM
12:33 12:33 PM
2 h behind Oulu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
214,651
256,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oulu Brighton 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Oulu
  • Brighton

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
Oulu vs Brighton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Oulu and in Brighton?
Oulu and Brighton differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,871 vs $2,942 including rent). Oulu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Brighton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Oulu and in Brighton?
Rent for a central apartment: $763 in Oulu versus $1,895 in Brighton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Oulu and Brighton?
Childcare runs $354 in Oulu versus $2,053 in Brighton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Brighton pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,871 in Oulu versus $2,942 in Brighton, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oulu but tight or insufficient in Brighton. The gap between the two cities makes Oulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Oulu and Brighton?
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 Oulu or Brighton safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Oulu and Brighton 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: Oulu or Brighton?
Expats usually find Oulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Brighton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Oulu vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?