Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oulu and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Oulu: $1,909 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Oulu, Finland
London, United Kingdom
Oulu
🇫🇮 Finland
$1,909
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,048
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oulu and in London

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 London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,909 per month in Oulu vs $4,048 in London, rent included.

  • Oulu $1,909
  • London $4,048

A couple spends around $2,924 per month in Oulu vs $5,903 in London, rent included.

  • Oulu $2,924
  • London $5,903

A family of three spends $3,939 per month in Oulu vs $7,758 in London, rent included.

  • Oulu $3,939
  • London $7,758

Oulu is about 53% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Oulu and London sit above the global median – Oulu by 41%, London by 199%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oulu
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.37 €15.48
$26.36 £19.59
-34.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.7 €80.8
$109 £80.7
-16.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.04 €13.40
$10.71 £7.96
40.43%
Cappuccino
$5.05 €4.50
$5.59 £4.15
-9.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 €2.49
$3.00 £2.23
-6.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.22 £1.65
2.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.90 €7.04
$9.65 £7.17
-18.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.89 €7.03
$8.26 £6.14
-4.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oulu
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 €1.06
$1.97 £1.46
-39.59%
White Bread (500g)
$2.16 €1.93
$2.09 £1.55
3.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.63 €2.35
$2.59 £1.93
1.54%
Eggs
$3.28 €2.92
$5.37 £3.99
-38.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.54 €6.72
$13.12 £9.75
-42.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.49 €12.02
$11.03 £8.20
22.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.46 €20.01
$17.73 £13.18
26.68%
Apples (1kg)
$2.23 €1.99
$3.17 £2.36
-29.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 €1.74
$1.38 £1.03
41.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.82 £2.10
-25.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.38 €3.90
$3.36 £2.50
30.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.03 €0.92
$1.70 £1.26
-39.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.78 £1.32
-7.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.69 €2.40
$1.49 £1.11
80.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.82 £1.35
-10.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.50 €12.03
$23.85 £17.73
-43.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.29 €10.95
$13.44 £9.99
-8.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.59 €3.20
$3.11 £2.31
15.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 €2.84
$4.49 £3.34
-29.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Oulu
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.95 €2.63
$4.13 £3.07
-28.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.7 €55.0
$266 £198
-76.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.41 €8.39
$5.98 £4.45
57.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 €1.48
$3.39 £2.52
-51.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$55.0 €49.00
$56.6 £42.03
-2.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.33 €2.07
$2.21 £1.64
5.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.5K €32.5K
$38.3K £28.4K
-4.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9K €33.8K
$41.0K £30.5K
-7.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oulu
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 €106
$372 £277
-67.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.22 €22.46
$18.66 £13.87
35.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.06 €18.76
$40.53 £30.13
-48.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oulu
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.22 €32.27
$56.0 £41.63
-35.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.94 €16.87
$17.10 £12.71
10.76%
Cinema Ticket
$17.48 €15.57
$17.95 £13.34
-2.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oulu
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$571 €509
$2,946 £2,189
-80.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K €14.4K
$47.6K £35.4K
-65.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oulu
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.2 €88.4
$116 £86.4
-14.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.12 €40.19
$56.9 £42.29
-20.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 €97.0
$128 £95.1
-14.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$211 €188
$154 £114
37.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oulu
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$846 €754
$2,935 £2,182
-71.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$698 €622
$2,258 £1,678
-69.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,342 €1,196
$5,250 £3,902
-74.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,038 €925
$3,859 £2,868
-73.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,735 €3,327
$17.2K £12.8K
-78.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 €1,725
$8,278 £6,153
-76.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oulu
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,510 €2,236
$5,621 £4,177
-55.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.1
4.78
-14.23%

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

Last update for Oulu: November 1, 2026

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oulu
$698
London
$2.3K 224% $1.6K
Groceries & Markets
Oulu
$354
London
$360 1.9% $6.7
Eating Out
Oulu
$320
London
$396 23.6% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Oulu
$209
London
$205 2% $4.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oulu
$166
London
$432 160% $266
Getting Around
Oulu
$91
London
$305 235% $214
Sport & Entertainment
Oulu
$71
London
$92 29.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $846 in Oulu versus $2,935 in London. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in London are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Oulu versus $109 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $360 – making Oulu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇮 Oulu
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
01:44 1:44 AM
23:44 11:44 PM
2 h behind Oulu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
214,651
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.743 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oulu London 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Oulu
  • London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Oulu and in London compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,909 in Oulu, $4,048 in London – Oulu comes out roughly 53% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Oulu compared to London?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,863 per month in Oulu and $6,072 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Oulu and London?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Oulu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $846 there versus $2,935 in London.
Which city is more expensive overall: Oulu or London?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,909 in Oulu and $4,048 in London. That makes Oulu about 53% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Oulu and London?
Kindergarten costs $571 per month in Oulu and $2,946 in London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How does quality of life compare between Oulu and London?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,909 in Oulu to $4,048 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Oulu and London?
If budget matters most, go with Oulu. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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