Cost of Living Comparison Between Baia Mare and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Baia Mare and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $894 in Baia Mare versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,405 in Baia Mare versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,917 in Baia Mare versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Baia Mare costs roughly 27% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baia Mare 33% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.40 RON 40.91

$4.63 ฿151

103.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.34 RON 162

$46.84 ฿1,523

-20.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 RON 29.56

$8.84 ฿287

-23.08%

Cappuccino

$2.12 RON 9.22

$3.00 ฿97.4

-29.33%

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

$1.72 RON 7.50

$0.74 ฿24.11

132.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 5.59

$0.37 ฿11.88

248.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 RON 6.95

$2.44 ฿79.3

-34.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 9.65

$3.61 ฿117

-38.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 6.61

$2.26 ฿73.5

-32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.31

$1.84 ฿59.8

-33.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 RON 6.88

$2.24 ฿73.0

-29.46%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 14.59

$2.32 ฿75.3

44.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 RON 33.21

$19.67 ฿639

-61.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 RON 26.02

$3.65 ฿119

63.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.87 RON 38.59

$13.10 ฿426

-32.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 RON 5.32

$3.39 ฿110

-64.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 RON 6.65

$1.64 ฿53.4

-6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.49

$2.41 ฿78.5

-28.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 RON 9.38

$2.03 ฿66.0

6.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.38

$1.56 ฿50.6

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 RON 3.83

$1.50 ฿48.66

-41.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 RON 4.57

$1.02 ฿33.30

2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.49

$0.49 ฿15.91

63.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 RON 22.51

$4.45 ฿145

16.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.94 RON 21.50

$18.88 ฿614

-73.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 RON 4.52

$1.78 ฿57.7

-41.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 RON 8.01

$2.75 ฿89.5

-33.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 2.93

$1.40 ฿45.54

-52.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.29 RON 70.9

$11.48 ฿373

41.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 RON 3.31

$3.12 ฿101

-75.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.52

$1.00 ฿32.48

-19.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.07 RON 39.45

$14.09 ฿458

-35.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 6.64

$1.35 ฿43.93

13.33%

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

$28.4K RON 123.8K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

4.65%

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

$26.7K RON 116.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-19.01%

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

$116 RON 507

$125 ฿4,063

-6.82%

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

$8.84 RON 38.44

$13.57 ฿441

-34.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.30 RON 49.15

$18.52 ฿602

-38.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 RON 221

$61.5 ฿1,999

-17.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.02 RON 91.5

$16.84 ฿547

24.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 RON 29.88

$9.19 ฿299

-25.24%

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

$424 RON 1,845

$698 ฿22.7K

-39.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,879 RON 29.9K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-55.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 RON 230

$57.8 ฿1,878

-8.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 RON 165

$35.24 ฿1,146

7.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 RON 304

$113 ฿3,677

-38.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 RON 407

$86.4 ฿2,808

8.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 RON 1,227

$616 ฿20.0K

-54.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 RON 899

$446 ฿14.5K

-53.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 RON 2,329

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-73.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 RON 1,793

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-72.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,374 RON 10.3K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-37.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,632 RON 7,098

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-38.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$906 RON 3,940

$524 ฿17.0K

72.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.33

21.95%

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

Last update for Baia Mare: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Baia Mare and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baia Mare pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Baia Mare vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $292 per month, with Baia Mare 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

Baia Mare vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baia Mare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Baia Mare pays 73% 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: $282 in Baia Mare versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $424 in Baia Mare versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $894 in Baia Mare versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baia Mare but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Baia Mare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baia Mare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Baia Mare 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 Baia Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.