Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arad

For one person, living is cheaper in Arad: $873 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Arad
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Arad Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Arad

🇷🇴 Romania

$873

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Arad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Arad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $873 in Arad, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Arad $873

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,366 in Arad, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Arad $1,366

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,858 in Arad, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Arad $1,858

Phuket costs about 38% more than Arad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Arad are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Arad 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$8.16 RON 38.63

-43.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$32.35 RON 153

0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$7.15 RON 33.83

19.58%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.63 RON 12.45

3.42%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.48 RON 7.00

-36.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.59 RON 7.53

-69.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.14 RON 10.15

21.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.48 RON 11.71

54.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.12 RON 5.32

55.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.22 RON 5.76

17.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.72 RON 8.16

-11.05%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.57 RON 12.17

-15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$7.17 RON 33.94

167.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$4.87 RON 23.03

-32.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$10.13 RON 47.93

9.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$1.60 RON 7.59

84.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.70 RON 8.05

-1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.69 RON 8.02

36.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.40 RON 6.60

52.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.76 RON 3.59

101.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.85 RON 4.04

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.18 RON 5.60

-5.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.77 RON 3.63

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.95 RON 28.14

-28.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$5.73 RON 27.10

217.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.22 RON 5.78

42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.78 RON 8.40

56.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.87 RON 4.11

155.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$29.34 RON 139

-24.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$0.79 RON 3.71

268.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.07 RON 5.06

-5.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$10.40 RON 49.22

-63.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.84 RON 8.72

-19.02%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$27.8K RON 131.8K

-4.20%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$24.9K RON 117.8K

7.24%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$125 RON 590

-20.29%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$8.19 RON 38.74

37.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$7.28 RON 34.42

138.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$34.12 RON 161

53.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$30.83 RON 146

-64.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$5.27 RON 24.91

43.64%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$159 RON 752

251.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$3,847 RON 18.2K

198.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$42.29 RON 200

48.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$21.47 RON 102

33.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$70.9 RON 335

35.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$72.6 RON 343

21.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$332 RON 1,571

119.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$222 RON 1,052

106.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$529 RON 2,505

295.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$412 RON 1,951

196.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,420 RON 6,719

143.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,062 RON 5,027

134.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$919 RON 4,349

-46.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.35

-24.22%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Arad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Arad

$222 25.5% 51.7% $238

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Arad

$188 21.5% 29.8% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Arad

$140 16% 9.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Arad

$93 10.7% 24.8% $31

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Arad

$146 16.8% 20.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Arad

$45 5.1% 33.8% $23

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Arad

$39 4.5% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $332 in Arad. 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 86% higher in Arad, 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $32.00 in Arad. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $188 in Arad – so Arad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇴 Arad

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

20:54 8:54 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

159,074

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Arad 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Arad

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

Phuket vs Arad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 38% more than Arad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,310 in Arad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $32.00 in Arad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $873 in Arad. That's a gap of about 38%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arad, where all-in costs run around $873, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Arad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arad costs $873 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.