Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacau and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $916 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
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Bacau Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$916

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bacau 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 Bacau and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $916 per month in Bacau vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Bacau $916
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,552 per month in Bacau vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Bacau $1,552
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,189 per month in Bacau vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Bacau $2,189
Phuket $3,154

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

Both Bacau and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Bacau 33% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.19 RON 67.8

$4.47 ฿151

217.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 RON 404

$32.41 ฿1,093

160.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.24 RON 34.60

$8.81 ฿297

-17.82%

Cappuccino

$2.04 RON 9.76

$2.83 ฿95.4

-27.92%

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

$2.01 RON 9.58

$0.87 ฿29.41

131.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 RON 8.93

$0.49 ฿16.65

281.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 RON 11.81

$2.56 ฿86.3

-3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 RON 15.94

$3.68 ฿124

-9.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 RON 5.65

$1.66 ฿55.9

-28.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 RON 3.33

$1.46 ฿49.31

-52.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.07

$1.50 ฿50.5

12.67%

Eggs

$3.47 RON 16.57

$2.09 ฿70.5

66.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.68 RON 36.70

$19.07 ฿643

-59.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 RON 25.47

$3.30 ฿111

61.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.30 RON 39.65

$10.91 ฿368

-23.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 RON 5.24

$2.93 ฿98.9

-62.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.08

$1.69 ฿57.0

-12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.10

$2.25 ฿75.8

-33.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 RON 8.75

$2.08 ฿70.0

-12.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 RON 3.46

$1.51 ฿51.0

-52.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 RON 3.27

$1.38 ฿46.52

-50.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 RON 3.56

$1.07 ฿35.96

-29.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 RON 3.43

$0.52 ฿17.51

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 RON 25.56

$4.20 ฿142

27.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 RON 25.10

$18.79 ฿634

-72.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 RON 4.87

$1.82 ฿61.5

-43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.61

$2.84 ฿95.8

-58.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.33

$1.45 ฿48.98

-51.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.15 RON 139

$56.7 ฿1,912

-48.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 RON 2.92

$3.02 ฿102

-79.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 RON 3.10

$1.02 ฿34.33

-36.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 RON 32.13

$3.69 ฿125

82.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 RON 8.50

$1.47 ฿49.76

21.09%

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

$28.9K RON 138.1K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

7.91%

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

$24.8K RON 118.7K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-6.93%

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

$106 RON 506

$96.4 ฿3,251

9.97%

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

$7.47 RON 35.70

$11.26 ฿380

-33.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.63 RON 22.12

$16.85 ฿568

-72.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.29 RON 121

$67.2 ฿2,268

-62.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.98 RON 76.4

$10.73 ฿362

48.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 RON 29.09

$7.50 ฿253

-18.80%

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

$589 RON 2,814

$476 ฿16.1K

23.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,986 RON 23.8K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-55.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 RON 406

$62.4 ฿2,104

36.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.98 RON 153

$28.41 ฿958

12.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.3 RON 288

$94.3 ฿3,181

-36.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 RON 398

$85.8 ฿2,895

-3.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 RON 1,988

$716 ฿24.2K

-41.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 RON 1,129

$491 ฿16.6K

-51.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 RON 2,621

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-71.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 RON 1,934

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-71.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,805 RON 8,624

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-56.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,229 RON 5,872

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-59.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$936 RON 4,475

$502 ฿16.9K

86.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.97

5.57

25.13%

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

Last update for Bacau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bacau

$236 25.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 108% $255

Eating Out

Bacau

$194 21.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 37.3% $73

Groceries & Markets

Bacau

$177 19.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 50.8% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bacau

$118 12.9%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 5.4% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Bacau

$117 12.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 4% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Bacau

$37 4.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 120% $45

Getting Around

Bacau

$36 3.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 97.2% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $416 in Bacau versus $716 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 Bacau, 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 $85 in Bacau versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $177 in Bacau vs $266 in Phuket – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bacau

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

23:13 11:13 PM

04:13 4:13 AM

5 h ahead of Bacau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,307

79,308

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bacau Phuket 7,960 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bacau
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

Bacau vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,373 per month in Bacau and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Bacau and $32 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 $916 in Bacau and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Bacau about 28% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $916 in Bacau to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.