Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Baia Mare Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Baia Mare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $876 in Baia Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,406 in Baia Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,937 in Baia Mare.

Living in Phuket is roughly 44% more expensive than in Baia Mare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Baia Mare 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$9.38 RON 42.66

-52.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$37.06 RON 168

23.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.10 RON 32.26

23.38%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.11 RON 9.59

40.76%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.82 RON 8.26

-62.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.29 RON 5.85

-69.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.60 RON 7.25

58.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.20 RON 10.02

70.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.49 RON 6.79

44.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.22 RON 5.54

49.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.52 RON 6.91

43.42%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$3.34 RON 15.17

-32.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.49 RON 34.04

167.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.93 RON 26.96

-38.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.71 RON 39.61

55.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.21 RON 5.48

167.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.60 RON 7.25

2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.68 RON 7.63

38.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.12 RON 9.62

-2.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.77 RON 3.49

101.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.94 RON 4.29

55.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.01 RON 4.59

-2.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.79 RON 3.60

-39.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.20 RON 23.66

-16.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.05 RON 22.96

267.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.00 RON 4.53

86.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.86 RON 8.47

42.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.71 RON 3.22

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$16.15 RON 73.4

-28.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.72 RON 3.29

340.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.87 RON 3.95

18.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$9.37 RON 42.61

48.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.53 RON 6.94

-12.42%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$28.0K RON 127.3K

-0.77%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$26.2K RON 119.0K

27.50%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$114 RON 520

7.52%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$8.42 RON 38.28

63.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$11.49 RON 52.2

59.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$51.7 RON 235

17.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$20.99 RON 95.4

-18.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.97 RON 31.69

27.26%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$435 RON 1,979

58.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,894 RON 31.3K

128.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$54.2 RON 247

9.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$38.93 RON 177

-10.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$67.9 RON 309

69.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$92.3 RON 420

-9.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$284 RON 1,292

118.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$207 RON 943

115.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$537 RON 2,443

278.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$401 RON 1,823

273.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,106 RON 9,574

64.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,463 RON 6,651

73.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$898 RON 4,081

-45.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.5

-18.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Baia Mare: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $284 in Baia Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baia Mare pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Baia Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $194 per month, with Baia Mare cheaper across the board.

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 Baia Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baia Mare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 82% lower in Baia Mare. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $284 in Baia Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $435 in Baia Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $876 in Baia Mare versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baia Mare but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Baia Mare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Baia Mare 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 Baia Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.