Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medias and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Medias: $1,102 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Medias
Learn more

Medias Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Medias

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,102

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,102 in Medias versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Medias $1,102
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,683 in Medias versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Medias $1,683
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,263 in Medias versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Medias $2,263
Phuket $3,115

Living in Medias costs roughly 15% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medias 19% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.14 RON 53.0

$4.39 ฿147

153.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.8 RON 246

$32.31 ฿1,085

60.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 RON 34.94

$8.70 ฿292

-15.52%

Cappuccino

$3.70 RON 17.59

$2.72 ฿91.5

36.03%

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

$2.46 RON 11.68

$0.93 ฿31.25

164.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 RON 10.71

$0.50 ฿16.78

350.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 RON 15.20

$2.53 ฿85.0

26.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 RON 15.55

$3.63 ฿122

-9.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$1.74 ฿58.4

-29.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 RON 6.77

$1.45 ฿48.73

-1.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 RON 8.24

$1.50 ฿50.5

15.33%

Eggs

$3.59 RON 17.05

$2.17 ฿73.0

65.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 RON 41.13

$19.09 ฿641

-54.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 RON 31.82

$3.40 ฿114

96.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 RON 61.3

$10.90 ฿366

18.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.02

$2.94 ฿98.8

-49.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.04

$1.69 ฿56.8

-12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.35

$2.19 ฿73.7

-29.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 RON 12.28

$2.12 ฿71.4

21.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.46 ฿48.99

-47.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 RON 3.57

$1.37 ฿45.95

-45.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RON 3.78

$1.08 ฿36.14

-25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 RON 3.57

$0.55 ฿18.32

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.21 RON 29.50

$4.43 ฿149

40.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 35.85

$18.25 ฿613

-58.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$1.77 ฿59.5

-30.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RON 8.56

$2.88 ฿96.8

-37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.32

$1.45 ฿48.62

-51.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.96 RON 114

$54.9 ฿1,844

-56.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.14

$1.51 ฿50.8

-56.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 RON 3.23

$0.78 ฿26.06

-12.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 RON 31.35

$3.84 ฿129

71.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 RON 6.56

$1.49 ฿49.96

-7.38%

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

$29.0K RON 137.9K

$26.9K ฿902.9K

7.94%

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

$25.2K RON 120.0K

$26.3K ฿884.9K

-4.18%

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

$180 RON 857

$97.8 ฿3,285

84.41%

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

$7.25 RON 34.47

$11.29 ฿379

-35.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.26 RON 43.99

$17.19 ฿577

-46.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 RON 176

$68.3 ฿2,295

-45.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.31 RON 96.6

$10.92 ฿367

85.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.12 RON 29.10

$7.43 ฿250

-17.63%

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

$438 RON 2,082

$530 ฿17.8K

-17.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,770 RON 36.9K

$18.8K ฿630.9K

-58.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 RON 249

$61.7 ฿2,072

-15.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 RON 169

$28.25 ฿949

25.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 RON 349

$96.0 ฿3,225

-23.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 RON 432

$86.8 ฿2,916

4.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 RON 1,850

$721 ฿24.2K

-46.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 RON 1,389

$509 ฿17.1K

-42.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 RON 2,862

$1,950 ฿65.5K

-69.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 RON 2,152

$1,397 ฿46.9K

-67.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,039 RON 9,690

$4,192 ฿140.8K

-51.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,480 RON 7,036

$3,298 ฿110.8K

-55.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.23

5.57

29.80%

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

Last update for Medias: October 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medias

$292 26.5%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 74.1% $217

Groceries & Markets

Medias

$222 20.2%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 20.2% $45

Eating Out

Medias

$197 17.9%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 39.3% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medias

$197 17.9%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 35.9% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Medias

$113 10.3%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 8.1% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Medias

$49 4.5%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 68.8% $34

Getting Around

Medias

$31 2.8%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 115% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $389 in Medias and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52 in Medias vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $267, with Medias cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Medias

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

08:36 8:36 AM

5 h ahead of Medias

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,564

79,308

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medias Phuket 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medias
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

Medias vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medias is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,653 in Medias and $1,940 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $389 in Medias versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $438 in Medias versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Medias gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medias and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.