Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arad and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Arad: $873 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Arad
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Arad Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Arad

🇷🇴 Romania

$873

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arad and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arad and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $873 per month in Arad vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Arad $873
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,366 per month in Arad vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Arad $1,366
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,858 per month in Arad vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Arad $1,858
Phuket $2,867

Arad is about 28% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Arad and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Arad 35% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 RON 38.63

$4.58 ฿153

78.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.35 RON 153

$32.48 ฿1,086

-0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 RON 33.83

$8.55 ฿286

-16.37%

Cappuccino

$2.63 RON 12.45

$2.72 ฿91.0

-3.31%

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

$1.48 RON 7.00

$0.94 ฿31.25

57.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 RON 7.53

$0.49 ฿16.39

224.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 RON 10.15

$2.59 ฿86.6

-17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 RON 11.71

$3.83 ฿128

-35.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 RON 5.32

$1.74 ฿58.1

-35.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.76

$1.43 ฿47.82

-14.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.16

$1.53 ฿51.0

12.42%

Eggs

$2.57 RON 12.17

$2.17 ฿72.7

18.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 RON 33.94

$19.15 ฿640

-62.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 RON 23.03

$3.30 ฿110

47.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 RON 47.93

$11.14 ฿372

-9.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$2.95 ฿98.5

-45.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$1.68 ฿56.1

1.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.02

$2.30 ฿76.8

-26.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.60

$2.13 ฿71.3

-34.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.59

$1.53 ฿51.1

-50.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 RON 4.04

$1.36 ฿45.55

-37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 RON 5.60

$1.12 ฿37.44

5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.63

$0.55 ฿18.24

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 RON 28.14

$4.26 ฿142

39.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 RON 27.10

$18.19 ฿608

-68.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.78

$1.74 ฿58.2

-29.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 RON 8.40

$2.79 ฿93.3

-36.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.11

$2.22 ฿74.1

-60.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.34 RON 139

$22.06 ฿737

33.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 RON 3.71

$2.91 ฿97.3

-72.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$1.01 ฿33.79

5.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 RON 49.22

$3.83 ฿128

171.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RON 8.72

$1.49 ฿49.85

23.49%

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

$27.8K RON 131.8K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

4.39%

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

$24.9K RON 117.8K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-6.75%

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

$125 RON 590

$99.4 ฿3,321

25.46%

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

$8.19 RON 38.74

$11.28 ฿377

-27.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.28 RON 34.42

$17.36 ฿580

-58.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.12 RON 161

$52.3 ฿1,747

-34.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.83 RON 146

$10.85 ฿362

184.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 RON 24.91

$7.57 ฿253

-30.38%

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

$159 RON 752

$558 ฿18.7K

-71.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,847 RON 18.2K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-66.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.29 RON 200

$62.9 ฿2,102

-32.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.47 RON 102

$28.58 ฿955

-24.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 RON 335

$96.1 ฿3,213

-26.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 RON 343

$88.1 ฿2,943

-17.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 RON 1,571

$729 ฿24.4K

-54.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 RON 1,052

$460 ฿15.4K

-51.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 RON 2,505

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-74.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 RON 1,951

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-66.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,420 RON 6,719

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-58.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,062 RON 5,027

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-57.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$919 RON 4,349

$493 ฿16.5K

86.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.35

5.57

31.96%

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

Last update for Arad: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arad

$222 25.5%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 107% $238

Groceries & Markets

Arad

$188 21.5%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 42.4% $80

Eating Out

Arad

$146 16.8%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 17.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arad

$140 16%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 8.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Arad

$93 10.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 33% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Arad

$45 5.1%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 51% $23

Getting Around

Arad

$39 4.5%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $332 in Arad versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 86% higher in Arad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Arad versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $268 – making Arad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Arad

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

20:16 8:16 PM

00:16 12:16 AM

4 h ahead of Arad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,074

79,308

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Arad Phuket 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Arad
Phuket

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

Arad vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 38% more than Arad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,310 per month in Arad and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Arad and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $873 in Arad and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 38%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arad, where all-in costs run around $873, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Arad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arad costs $873 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.