Cost of Living Comparison Between Oulu and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Oulu and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,945 in Oulu versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,016 in Oulu versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,087 in Oulu versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Oulu is roughly 56% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oulu is 46% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.80 €14.67

$4.55 ฿153

269.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 €103

$46.18 ฿1,550

154.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.34 €12.53

$8.84 ฿297

62.22%

Cappuccino

$5.11 €4.46

$3.06 ฿103

66.99%

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

$2.94 €2.57

$0.73 ฿24.36

302.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.96

$0.40 ฿13.37

460.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 €7.00

$2.43 ฿81.6

230.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 €6.92

$3.78 ฿127

109.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €1.00

$2.26 ฿75.8

-49.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 €2.17

$1.81 ฿60.8

37.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.44

$2.25 ฿75.7

24.00%

Eggs

$3.56 €3.11

$2.25 ฿75.4

58.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 €6.80

$19.51 ฿655

-60.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 €13.29

$3.65 ฿122

316.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.77 €19.02

$13.05 ฿438

66.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$3.23 ฿109

-21.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

$1.62 ฿54.3

29.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.38 ฿80.0

-15.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 €3.66

$2.03 ฿68.0

105.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 €1.06

$1.53 ฿51.5

-20.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.50 ฿50.4

18.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 €2.18

$0.98 ฿32.85

154.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.42

$0.52 ฿17.36

211.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.77 €10.29

$4.44 ฿149

165.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 €11.07

$18.32 ฿615

-30.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 €3.15

$1.86 ฿62.6

93.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 €3.35

$2.68 ฿90.0

42.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.75

$1.41 ฿47.37

123.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 €52.3

$11.70 ฿393

411.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 €6.71

$3.11 ฿104

146.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 €1.63

$1.04 ฿35.00

79.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.4 €58.0

$14.11 ฿474

370.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.89

$1.31 ฿44.02

64.89%

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

$33.0K €28.8K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

18.59%

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

$38.2K €33.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

15.04%

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

$107 €93.8

$122 ฿4,110

-12.31%

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

$31.17 €27.24

$13.59 ฿456

129.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.48 €24.01

$18.70 ฿628

46.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.29 €31.70

$60.5 ฿2,031

-40.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.43 €27.46

$16.98 ฿570

85.10%

Cinema Ticket

$17.11 €14.95

$9.07 ฿305

88.64%

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

$366 €320

$706 ฿23.7K

-48.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.1K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-26.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €78.7

$58.6 ฿1,965

53.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.08 €42.88

$35.36 ฿1,187

38.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €101

$115 ฿3,876

0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 €178

$83.7 ฿2,811

143.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 €657

$626 ฿21.0K

20.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 €605

$445 ฿14.9K

55.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 €1,195

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-32.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 €971

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-25.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 €3,453

$3,483 ฿116.9K

13.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,009 €1,756

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-22.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,538 €2,218

$500 ฿16.8K

407.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

5.33

-27.39%

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

Last update for Oulu: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $752 in Oulu and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oulu pays 408% 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: $118 in Oulu vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 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

Oulu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Oulu. 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 408% higher in Oulu, 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: $752 in Oulu versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $118 in Oulu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,945 per month in Oulu versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,945 in Oulu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Oulu. 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, Oulu 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 56% less than in Oulu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.