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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $887 in Baia Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,427 in Baia Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,967 in Baia Mare.

Living in Phuket is roughly 42% more expensive than Baia Mare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Baia Mare 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$9.11 RON 41.20

-49.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$36.19 RON 164

28.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.09 RON 32.09

19.46%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.21 RON 10.01

37.10%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.79 RON 8.09

-61.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.34 RON 6.05

-72.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.57 RON 7.09

58.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.23 RON 10.07

64.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.44 RON 6.51

51.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.23 RON 5.55

54.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.54 RON 6.99

42.86%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.25 RON 14.69

-31.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.59 RON 34.33

163.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.15 RON 27.83

-40.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.00 RON 40.73

47.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.18 RON 5.32

173.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.52 RON 6.89

11.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.74 RON 7.87

37.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.21 RON 9.99

-5.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.76 RON 3.43

109.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.87 RON 3.94

70.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.01 RON 4.57

1.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.79 RON 3.56

-34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.43 RON 24.55

-21.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$4.90 RON 22.15

283.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.03 RON 4.68

70.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.77 RON 8.02

55.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.67 RON 3.03

102.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$16.35 RON 73.9

-30.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.76 RON 3.43

313.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.80 RON 3.64

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$9.04 RON 40.89

52.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.51 RON 6.83

-11.26%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$28.6K RON 129.2K

-3.12%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$26.0K RON 117.5K

30.34%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$117 RON 530

5.52%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.37 RON 37.88

61.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$11.17 RON 50.5

67.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$51.3 RON 232

20.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$20.91 RON 94.6

-17.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.71 RON 30.34

36.21%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$431 RON 1,952

62.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,838 RON 30.9K

132.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$53.0 RON 240

12.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$38.92 RON 176

-9.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$70.4 RON 318

63.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$93.2 RON 422

-9.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$287 RON 1,296

115.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$210 RON 951

105.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$536 RON 2,426

284.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$400 RON 1,809

277.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,362 RON 10.7K

54.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,555 RON 7,033

68.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$871 RON 3,940

-41.80%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Baia Mare: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $287 in Baia Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baia Mare pays 72% 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 $36.00 in Baia Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $195 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 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Baia Mare earns 72% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $287 in Baia Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $431 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 $887 in Baia Mare versus $1,261 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 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.