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: $1,956 in Oulu versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,961 in Oulu versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,966 in Oulu versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Oulu is roughly 59% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oulu is 43% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.96 €15.65

$4.41 ฿147

307.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.8 €80.9

$32.26 ฿1,077

187.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.81 €13.79

$8.93 ฿298

77.04%

Cappuccino

$4.92 €4.29

$2.90 ฿96.6

69.66%

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

$2.96 €2.58

$0.88 ฿29.38

236.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.48 ฿16.06

387.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.86 €6.85

$2.35 ฿78.5

234.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 €7.18

$3.72 ฿124

121.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.05

$1.87 ฿62.3

-35.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 €1.95

$1.47 ฿48.94

51.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 €2.49

$1.55 ฿51.8

84.52%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.88

$2.10 ฿70.1

57.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 €6.85

$19.59 ฿654

-59.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.88 €12.10

$3.42 ฿114

305.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.61 €20.58

$11.38 ฿380

107.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.98 ฿99.6

-21.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.68 ฿56.2

22.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 €1.90

$2.21 ฿73.7

-1.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 €3.91

$2.16 ฿72.1

107.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 €0.89

$1.52 ฿50.9

-32.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.34 ฿44.67

32.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 €2.44

$1.13 ฿37.67

147.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.48

$0.55 ฿18.24

207.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.35 €11.64

$4.26 ฿142

213.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.59 €10.98

$19.09 ฿637

-34.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.71 €3.24

$1.78 ฿59.4

108.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.73

$2.78 ฿92.9

12.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$2.23 ฿74.4

33.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 €56.2

$22.74 ฿759

183.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.80 €8.54

$3.03 ฿101

223.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.02 ฿34.15

64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.7 €50.3

$3.89 ฿130

1382.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.49 ฿49.77

48.32%

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

$38.1K €33.2K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

43.21%

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

$38.4K €33.4K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

41.97%

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

$122 €107

$102 ฿3,420

19.43%

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

$26.72 €23.29

$11.33 ฿378

135.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.98 €19.16

$17.40 ฿581

26.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.40 €31.73

$52.1 ฿1,738

-30.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.76 €17.22

$11.07 ฿370

78.50%

Cinema Ticket

$17.57 €15.32

$7.69 ฿257

128.48%

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

$360 €314

$561 ฿18.7K

-35.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.1 €83.8

$63.0 ฿2,104

52.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.10 €41.06

$29.52 ฿986

59.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €97.9

$98.0 ฿3,272

14.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$219 €191

$88.5 ฿2,954

146.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 €690

$738 ฿24.6K

7.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 €602

$482 ฿16.1K

43.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 €1,202

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-34.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,068 €931

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-12.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,106 €3,579

$3,617 ฿120.7K

13.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,025 €1,765

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-22.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,552 €2,225

$494 ฿16.5K

417.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

5.57

-26.39%

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

Last update for Oulu: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $792 in Oulu and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oulu pays 417% 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: $93.0 in Oulu vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $274 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 59% 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 417% 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: $792 in Oulu versus $738 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 $32.00 versus $93.0 in Oulu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,956 per month in Oulu versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,956 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 $1,232 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 59% less than in Oulu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.