Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Oldham Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Oldham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,097 in Oldham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,037 in Oldham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,976 in Oldham.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 40% less than in Oldham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Oldham is 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$20.61 £15.35

-77.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$87.4 £65.1

-48.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$10.23 £7.62

-17.60%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$4.86 £3.62

-39.71%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$2.61 £1.95

-73.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$1.74 £1.29

-78.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$6.83 £5.09

-64.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.93 £4.42

-37.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.63 £1.22

36.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.71 £1.27

7.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$3.38 £2.52

-35.80%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$3.93 £2.92

-43.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.71 £7.98

84.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$9.74 £7.25

-62.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$17.44 £12.99

-22.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.31 £2.47

-0.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.91 £1.42

-15.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.11 £2.32

-22.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$3.71 £2.77

-43.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.78 £1.33

-14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.88 £1.40

-21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.31 £0.98

-24.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.45 £1.08

-64.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$18.53 £13.80

-76.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$10.32 £7.69

87.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.75 £2.05

-35.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.42 £2.55

-20.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$3.45 £2.57

-60.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$83.7 £62.4

-86.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$5.39 £4.02

-43.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.74 £1.29

-43.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$33.60 £25.03

-58.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.88 £1.40

-27.66%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$38.0K £28.3K

-25.79%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$41.4K £30.8K

-20.53%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$303 £226

-59.88%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$23.17 £17.26

-41.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$43.56 £32.44

-57.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$47.04 £35.04

28.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.68 £9.44

-31.47%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$1,584 £1,180

-56.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$6,885 £5,128

127.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$91.4 £68.1

-34.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$41.64 £31.02

-16.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$87.5 £65.2

31.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$73.1 £54.4

13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,240 £924

-50.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$751 £559

-41.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,401 £1,044

49.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,110 £827

36.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,457 £1,830

-79.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.6

-4.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Oldham: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,240 in Oldham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oldham pays 384% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $87.0 in Oldham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $328 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

Phuket vs Oldham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Oldham differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $2,097 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Oldham earns 384% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $1,240 in Oldham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 635% less than in Oldham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $1,584 in Oldham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,097 in Oldham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Oldham. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Oldham 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 66% less than in Oldham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.