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 $924 in Baia Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,448 in Baia Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,972 in Baia Mare.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in Baia Mare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Baia Mare 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$13.10 RON 60.0

-66.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$34.03 RON 156

-5.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$8.91 RON 40.83

0.22%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.19 RON 10.03

32.42%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.90 RON 8.69

-53.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$1.44 RON 6.61

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.62 RON 7.44

45.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.23 RON 10.24

66.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.59 RON 7.28

17.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.46 RON 6.70

0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.57 RON 7.20

-1.27%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.90 RON 13.29

-27.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$6.52 RON 29.87

200.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.17 RON 32.87

-52.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$11.17 RON 51.2

1.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.19 RON 5.44

150.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.62 RON 7.41

3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.44 RON 6.59

53.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$2.80 RON 12.84

-22.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.04 RON 4.76

46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.16 RON 5.33

15.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.12 RON 5.14

0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.81 RON 3.70

-32.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.74 RON 30.90

-36.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$4.89 RON 22.41

290.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.09 RON 4.98

63.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.66 RON 7.62

67.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.68 RON 3.10

227.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$15.55 RON 71.3

46.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.79 RON 3.60

283.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.86 RON 3.93

18.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$6.12 RON 28.02

-36.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.73 RON 7.91

-13.87%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$29.8K RON 136.6K

-10.84%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$25.5K RON 117.0K

5.82%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$111 RON 509

-7.82%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$16.04 RON 73.5

-29.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$12.25 RON 56.1

42.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$40.14 RON 184

29.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$17.00 RON 77.9

-34.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$10.26 RON 47.02

-25.05%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$557 RON 2,553

0.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$5,636 RON 25.8K

104.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$38.53 RON 177

63.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$43.63 RON 200

-32.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$64.7 RON 296

51.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$77.7 RON 356

13.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$283 RON 1,298

160.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$216 RON 990

123.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$508 RON 2,325

315.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$386 RON 1,766

217.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$2,083 RON 9,540

73.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,494 RON 6,842

74.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$909 RON 4,162

-45.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.48

-25.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Baia Mare: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $283 in Baia Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baia Mare pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Baia Mare. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $211, with Baia Mare cheaper for home cooking.

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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 84% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $283 in Baia Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $557 in Baia Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $924 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.