Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mangalia and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Mangalia: $1,107 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Mangalia
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Mangalia Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Mangalia

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,107

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,107 per month in Mangalia vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Mangalia $1,107
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $1,678 per month in Mangalia vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Mangalia $1,678
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $2,250 per month in Mangalia vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Mangalia $2,250
Phuket $3,115

Mangalia is about 14% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mangalia and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Mangalia 18% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.44 RON 54.4

$4.39 ฿147

160.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.28 RON 220

$32.31 ฿1,078

43.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 RON 37.03

$8.70 ฿290

-10.57%

Cappuccino

$2.90 RON 13.78

$2.72 ฿90.9

6.62%

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

$2.04 RON 9.72

$0.93 ฿31.06

119.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 RON 9.99

$0.50 ฿16.67

320.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 RON 11.81

$2.53 ฿84.5

-1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 RON 16.16

$3.63 ฿121

-6.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 RON 7.64

$1.74 ฿58.1

-7.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RON 5.36

$1.45 ฿48.42

-22.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.36

$1.50 ฿50.1

3.33%

Eggs

$3.08 RON 14.64

$2.17 ฿72.5

41.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 RON 37.33

$19.09 ฿637

-58.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 RON 31.61

$3.40 ฿113

95.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.63 RON 45.80

$10.90 ฿364

-11.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.14

$2.94 ฿98.2

-56.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 RON 7.91

$1.69 ฿56.5

-1.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 RON 6.55

$2.19 ฿73.2

-36.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 RON 9.62

$2.12 ฿70.9

-4.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 RON 3.50

$1.46 ฿48.68

-49.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.61

$1.37 ฿45.66

-44.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 RON 3.19

$1.08 ฿35.91

-37.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.55 ฿18.21

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 RON 29.61

$4.43 ฿148

40.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.74 RON 32.07

$18.25 ฿609

-63.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.61

$1.77 ฿59.2

-45.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 RON 6.82

$2.88 ฿96.2

-50.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 RON 3.89

$1.45 ฿48.32

-43.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.40 RON 107

$54.9 ฿1,832

-59.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 RON 4.26

$1.51 ฿50.5

-40.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 4.14

$0.78 ฿25.90

11.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.92 RON 42.42

$3.84 ฿128

132.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 RON 8.85

$1.49 ฿49.65

24.83%

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

$28.6K RON 136.0K

$26.9K ฿897.3K

6.35%

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

$25.2K RON 119.7K

$26.3K ฿879.4K

-4.52%

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

$164 RON 779

$97.8 ฿3,265

67.36%

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

$5.92 RON 28.17

$11.29 ฿377

-47.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.48 RON 40.32

$17.19 ฿574

-50.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.18 RON 177

$68.3 ฿2,281

-45.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 RON 94.0

$10.92 ฿365

80.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.60 RON 40.90

$7.43 ฿248

15.75%

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

$377 RON 1,792

$530 ฿17.7K

-28.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,802 RON 27.6K

$18.8K ฿626.9K

-69.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 RON 343

$61.7 ฿2,059

16.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.48 RON 202

$28.25 ฿943

50.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 RON 434

$96.0 ฿3,204

-5.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 RON 453

$86.8 ฿2,898

9.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 RON 1,793

$721 ฿24.1K

-47.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 RON 1,533

$509 ฿17.0K

-36.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 RON 3,247

$1,950 ฿65.1K

-65.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 RON 2,372

$1,397 ฿46.6K

-64.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,715 RON 8,158

$4,192 ฿139.9K

-59.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,472 RON 7,000

$3,298 ฿110.1K

-55.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$721 RON 3,432

$492 ฿16.4K

46.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.85

5.57

40.93%

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

Last update for Mangalia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mangalia

$322 29.1%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 57.9% $187

Groceries & Markets

Mangalia

$200 18.1%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 33.2% $66

Eating Out

Mangalia

$185 16.8%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 35.5% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mangalia

$178 16.1%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 29.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Mangalia

$135 12.2%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 9.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Mangalia

$54 4.9%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 53% $29

Getting Around

Mangalia

$31 2.8%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 114% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $377 in Mangalia versus $721 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 47% higher in Mangalia, 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 $46 in Mangalia versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Mangalia vs $267 in Phuket – so Mangalia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Mangalia

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

05:26 5:26 AM

5 h ahead of Mangalia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,364

79,308

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mangalia Phuket 7,790 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mangalia
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

Mangalia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,107 in Mangalia, $1,294 in Phuket – Mangalia comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,660 per month in Mangalia and $1,940 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mangalia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $377 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Mangalia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $377 per month in Mangalia and $530 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,107 in Mangalia and $1,294 in Phuket, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mangalia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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