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: $924 in Baia Mare versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,448 in Baia Mare versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,972 in Baia Mare versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Baia Mare costs roughly 25% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baia Mare 32% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.10 RON 60.0

$4.41 ฿147

197.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.03 RON 156

$32.26 ฿1,074

5.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.91 RON 40.83

$8.93 ฿297

-0.22%

Cappuccino

$2.19 RON 10.03

$2.90 ฿96.4

-24.48%

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

$1.90 RON 8.69

$0.88 ฿29.30

115.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RON 6.61

$0.48 ฿16.01

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 RON 7.44

$2.35 ฿78.3

-31.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.24

$3.72 ฿124

-40.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 RON 7.28

$1.87 ฿62.1

-14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 RON 6.70

$1.47 ฿48.81

-0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.20

$1.55 ฿51.7

1.29%

Eggs

$2.90 RON 13.29

$2.10 ฿70.0

38.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 RON 29.87

$19.59 ฿652

-66.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.17 RON 32.87

$3.42 ฿114

109.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.17 RON 51.2

$11.38 ฿379

-1.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.44

$2.98 ฿99.3

-60.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.41

$1.68 ฿56.1

-3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.59

$2.21 ฿73.5

-34.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 RON 12.84

$2.16 ฿72.0

29.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 RON 4.76

$1.52 ฿50.8

-31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 RON 5.33

$1.34 ฿44.55

-13.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 RON 5.14

$1.13 ฿37.57

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 RON 3.70

$0.55 ฿18.19

47.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 RON 30.90

$4.26 ฿142

58.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.89 RON 22.41

$19.09 ฿635

-74.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 RON 4.98

$1.78 ฿59.2

-38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 RON 7.62

$2.78 ฿92.6

-40.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 RON 3.10

$2.23 ฿74.2

-69.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.55 RON 71.3

$22.74 ฿757

-31.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 RON 3.60

$3.03 ฿101

-73.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 3.93

$1.02 ฿34.06

-15.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 RON 28.02

$3.89 ฿130

57.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 RON 7.91

$1.49 ฿49.63

16.11%

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

$29.8K RON 136.6K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

12.16%

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

$25.5K RON 117.0K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

-5.50%

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

$111 RON 509

$102 ฿3,411

8.48%

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

$16.04 RON 73.5

$11.33 ฿377

41.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.25 RON 56.1

$17.40 ฿579

-29.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.14 RON 184

$52.1 ฿1,734

-22.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.00 RON 77.9

$11.07 ฿369

53.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.26 RON 47.02

$7.69 ฿256

33.42%

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

$557 RON 2,553

$561 ฿18.7K

-0.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,636 RON 25.8K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-51.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.53 RON 177

$63.0 ฿2,098

-38.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 RON 200

$29.52 ฿983

47.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 RON 296

$98.0 ฿3,263

-34.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 RON 356

$88.5 ฿2,946

-12.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 RON 1,298

$738 ฿24.6K

-61.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$216 RON 990

$482 ฿16.1K

-55.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 RON 2,325

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-75.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 RON 1,766

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-68.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,083 RON 9,540

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-42.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,494 RON 6,842

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-42.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 RON 4,162

$494 ฿16.4K

84.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.48

5.57

34.29%

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

Last update for Baia Mare: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Baia Mare and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baia Mare pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Baia Mare vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $211 vs $274, with Baia Mare cheaper for home cooking.

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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 84% higher in Baia Mare, 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: $283 in Baia Mare versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Baia Mare versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $924 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.