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: $1,954 in Oulu versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,024 in Oulu versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,094 in Oulu versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Oulu is roughly 54% more expensive than 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

$16.41 €14.11

$4.70 ฿153

249.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 €100

$45.37 ฿1,482

156.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.57 €12.54

$8.43 ฿275

72.84%

Cappuccino

$4.86 €4.18

$2.93 ฿95.6

65.87%

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

$3.00 €2.58

$0.69 ฿22.40

334.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.90

$0.37 ฿11.99

494.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 €7.06

$2.41 ฿78.6

240.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 €7.13

$3.72 ฿122

122.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.01

$2.23 ฿72.9

-47.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 €2.17

$1.83 ฿59.8

38.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.17 ฿70.8

30.88%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.90

$2.21 ฿72.3

52.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 €6.67

$19.74 ฿645

-60.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.29 €13.15

$3.63 ฿119

321.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.16 €19.07

$13.53 ฿442

63.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.08

$3.28 ฿107

-26.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.61 ฿52.6

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.41 ฿78.6

-16.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 €3.55

$2.08 ฿68.1

98.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.53 ฿49.93

-21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.48 ฿48.36

15.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 €2.11

$0.99 ฿32.29

148.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.51 ฿16.67

221.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.75 €10.11

$4.41 ฿144

166.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 €11.88

$19.38 ฿633

-28.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.69 €3.18

$1.78 ฿58.1

107.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.17

$2.71 ฿88.6

35.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.18 €2.73

$1.37 ฿44.79

132.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.2 €50.1

$11.39 ฿372

411.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.56 €6.50

$3.02 ฿98.6

150.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.99 ฿32.48

82.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.8 €56.6

$14.10 ฿461

366.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.36 ฿44.51

58.09%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

19.63%

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

$38.8K €33.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

17.77%

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

$107 €92.3

$122 ฿3,975

-11.79%

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

$31.69 €27.26

$13.57 ฿443

133.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.48 €23.64

$18.31 ฿598

50.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.95 €30.92

$60.2 ฿1,967

-40.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.43 €27.03

$17.14 ฿560

83.37%

Cinema Ticket

$17.48 €15.04

$8.69 ฿284

101.15%

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

$356 €306

$693 ฿22.6K

-48.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K €9,902

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-26.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 €77.4

$59.5 ฿1,944

51.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.15 €41.42

$34.77 ฿1,136

38.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €99.6

$115 ฿3,743

1.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 €176

$83.3 ฿2,720

145.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €636

$613 ฿20.0K

20.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 €607

$437 ฿14.3K

61.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 €1,173

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-34.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €937

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-27.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,221 €3,631

$3,749 ฿122.5K

12.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,887 €1,624

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-27.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,587 €2,226

$508 ฿16.6K

409.21%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Oulu and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oulu pays 409% 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: $116 in Oulu vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $293 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 54% 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.

Oulu pays 409% more on average, 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: $740 in Oulu versus $613 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 $45.00 versus $116 in Oulu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,954 per month in Oulu versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,954 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 $1,265 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 54% less than in Oulu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.