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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $894 in Baia Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,405 in Baia Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,917 in Baia Mare.

Living in Phuket is roughly 38% more expensive than Baia Mare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Baia Mare 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$9.40 RON 41.00

-50.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$37.34 RON 163

25.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.80 RON 29.63

30.00%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.12 RON 9.24

41.51%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.72 RON 7.52

-56.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.29 RON 5.61

-71.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.60 RON 6.97

52.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.22 RON 9.68

62.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.52 RON 6.63

48.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.22 RON 5.32

50.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.58 RON 6.89

41.77%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.35 RON 14.62

-30.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.64 RON 33.29

157.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.98 RON 26.08

-38.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$8.87 RON 38.68

47.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.22 RON 5.33

177.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.53 RON 6.67

7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.72 RON 7.51

40.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.16 RON 9.40

-6.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.78 RON 3.39

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.88 RON 3.83

70.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.05 RON 4.58

-2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.80 RON 3.49

-38.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.17 RON 22.56

-13.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.94 RON 21.55

282.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.04 RON 4.54

71.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.84 RON 8.03

49.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.67 RON 2.93

108.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$16.29 RON 71.0

-29.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.76 RON 3.32

310.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.81 RON 3.53

23.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$9.07 RON 39.54

55.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.53 RON 6.65

-11.76%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$28.4K RON 124.0K

-4.45%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.7K RON 116.3K

23.47%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$116 RON 508

7.32%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$8.84 RON 38.53

53.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$11.30 RON 49.27

63.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$50.8 RON 221

21.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$21.02 RON 91.7

-19.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.87 RON 29.95

33.77%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$424 RON 1,849

64.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,879 RON 30.0K

126.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$52.8 RON 230

9.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$37.98 RON 166

-7.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$69.9 RON 305

61.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$93.5 RON 408

-7.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$282 RON 1,229

118.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$207 RON 901

115.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$535 RON 2,334

282.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$412 RON 1,797

261.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,374 RON 10.3K

59.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,632 RON 7,114

62.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$906 RON 3,949

-42.17%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Baia Mare: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $282 in Baia Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baia Mare pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Baia Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $196 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 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Baia Mare earns 73% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $282 in Baia Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $424 in Baia Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $894 in Baia Mare versus $1,232 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 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.