Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bacau

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $916 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
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Bacau Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bacau

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 Bacau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $916 in Bacau, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Bacau $916

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,552 in Bacau, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Bacau $1,552

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,189 in Bacau, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Bacau $2,189

Phuket costs about 40% more than Bacau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Bacau are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Bacau 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$14.19 RON 67.8

-68.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$84.6 RON 404

-61.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.24 RON 34.60

21.69%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.04 RON 9.76

38.73%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.01 RON 9.58

-56.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.87 RON 8.93

-73.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.47 RON 11.81

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.34 RON 15.94

10.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.18 RON 5.65

40.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.70 RON 3.33

108.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.69 RON 8.07

-11.24%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.47 RON 16.57

-39.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.68 RON 36.70

148.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.33 RON 25.47

-38.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.30 RON 39.65

31.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.10 RON 5.24

166.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.48 RON 7.08

14.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.49 RON 7.10

51.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.83 RON 8.75

13.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.72 RON 3.46

109.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.68 RON 3.27

102.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.75 RON 3.56

42.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.72 RON 3.43

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.35 RON 25.56

-21.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.25 RON 25.10

257.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.02 RON 4.87

78.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.17 RON 5.61

142.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.70 RON 3.33

107.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$29.15 RON 139

94.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.61 RON 2.92

395.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.65 RON 3.10

56.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$6.72 RON 32.13

-45.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.78 RON 8.50

-17.42%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$28.9K RON 138.1K

-7.33%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$24.8K RON 118.7K

7.45%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$106 RON 506

-9.07%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$7.47 RON 35.70

50.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$4.63 RON 22.12

263.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$25.29 RON 121

165.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$15.98 RON 76.4

-32.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.09 RON 29.09

23.15%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$589 RON 2,814

-19.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$4,986 RON 23.8K

125.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$85.0 RON 406

-26.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$31.98 RON 153

-11.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$60.3 RON 288

56.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$83.2 RON 398

3.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$416 RON 1,988

72.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$236 RON 1,129

107.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$549 RON 2,621

251.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$405 RON 1,934

253.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,805 RON 8,624

131.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,229 RON 5,872

147.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$936 RON 4,475

-46.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.97

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bacau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Bacau

$236 25.8% 51.9% $255

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Bacau

$177 19.3% 33.7% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Bacau

$118 12.9% 5.1% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bacau

$117 12.8% 3.8% $4.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bacau

$194 21.2% 59.6% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Bacau

$37 4.1% 54.4% $45

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Bacau

$36 3.9% 49.3% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $416 in Bacau. 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 Bacau, 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 in Phuket versus $85 in Bacau. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $177 in Bacau – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇴 Bacau

🕒 Local time

05:14 5:14 AM

00:14 12:14 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

144,307

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Bacau 7,960 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bacau

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 Bacau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,373 in Bacau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $85 in Bacau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $916 in Bacau. That makes Bacau about 28% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $916 in Bacau to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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