Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,213 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,938 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Cluj-Napoca is roughly 18% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cluj-Napoca is 8% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 RON 61.0

$4.66 ฿154

189.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 RON 259

$32.22 ฿1,065

77.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 RON 45.59

$8.68 ฿287

16.01%

Cappuccino

$3.92 RON 17.74

$2.90 ฿95.8

35.17%

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

$2.47 RON 11.21

$0.84 ฿27.89

194.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 RON 11.17

$0.49 ฿16.16

404.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 RON 15.23

$2.48 ฿82.0

35.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 RON 20.21

$3.73 ฿123

19.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.87

$1.89 ฿62.3

-7.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 RON 7.21

$1.41 ฿46.54

12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 RON 8.41

$1.62 ฿53.6

14.81%

Eggs

$3.90 RON 17.67

$2.24 ฿74.1

74.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 RON 43.87

$19.84 ฿656

-51.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 RON 35.26

$3.48 ฿115

123.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 RON 54.8

$11.37 ฿376

6.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 RON 6.73

$2.90 ฿95.8

-48.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.11

$1.72 ฿57.0

4.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 RON 8.90

$2.27 ฿75.1

-13.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 RON 11.65

$2.13 ฿70.4

20.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.53

$1.47 ฿48.72

-31.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.75

$1.42 ฿46.92

-26.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.69

$1.10 ฿36.25

-6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.68

$0.60 ฿19.76

71.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 RON 30.60

$4.31 ฿142

56.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 34.16

$18.60 ฿615

-59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 5.83

$1.80 ฿59.5

-28.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 RON 8.42

$2.97 ฿98.0

-37.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.60

$2.25 ฿74.2

-64.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.36 RON 147

$23.49 ฿776

37.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 RON 4.15

$3.10 ฿102

-70.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RON 4.42

$1.08 ฿35.56

-9.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.12 RON 41.30

$3.87 ฿128

135.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RON 8.63

$1.43 ฿47.16

33.57%

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

$29.3K RON 132.8K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

5.51%

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

$26.1K RON 118.4K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-3.13%

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

$165 RON 745

$105 ฿3,462

57.06%

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

$8.94 RON 40.48

$11.39 ฿376

-21.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.16 RON 46.02

$17.54 ฿580

-42.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 RON 226

$54.3 ฿1,795

-8.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.35 RON 106

$11.44 ฿378

104.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 RON 44.99

$7.78 ฿257

27.63%

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

$624 RON 2,827

$576 ฿19.0K

8.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K RON 45.3K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-13.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 RON 425

$63.6 ฿2,103

47.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.38 RON 224

$29.10 ฿961

69.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 RON 468

$96.2 ฿3,179

7.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 RON 530

$90.0 ฿2,974

30.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 RON 3,065

$733 ฿24.2K

-7.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 RON 2,524

$501 ฿16.5K

11.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 RON 5,413

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-43.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 RON 3,824

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-32.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,864 RON 22.0K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

37.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,549 RON 16.1K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

35.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,340 RON 6,070

$508 ฿16.8K

164.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

5.57

22.08%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Cluj-Napoca and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 164% 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: $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $275, with Cluj-Napoca 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

Cluj-Napoca vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 164% higher in Cluj-Napoca, 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: $677 in Cluj-Napoca versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 38% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $624 in Cluj-Napoca versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Cluj-Napoca 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.