Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bragadiru

For one person, living is cheaper in Bragadiru: $1,097 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Bragadiru
Learn more

Bragadiru Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Bragadiru

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,097

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bragadiru

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,097 in Bragadiru.

Phuket $1,208
Bragadiru $1,097

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,706 in Bragadiru.

Phuket $2,027
Bragadiru $1,706

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,314 in Bragadiru.

Phuket $2,845
Bragadiru $2,314

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than in Bragadiru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Bragadiru 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$12.56 RON 59.5

-64.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$58.6 RON 277

-44.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.34 RON 34.71

19.35%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$3.20 RON 15.12

-11.56%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.79 RON 8.48

-49.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.28 RON 6.08

-63.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.26 RON 10.69

12.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.14 RON 14.88

21.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.65 RON 7.81

4.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.18 RON 5.59

24.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.66 RON 7.85

-9.04%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.07 RON 14.54

-29.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$8.59 RON 40.64

129.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$6.95 RON 32.88

-51.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$9.03 RON 42.74

23.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.25 RON 5.92

128.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.59 RON 7.51

6.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.60 RON 7.59

36.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.55 RON 12.06

-19.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.92 RON 4.36

57.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.92 RON 4.36

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.00 RON 4.73

7.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.98 RON 4.62

-47.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.23 RON 29.47

-31.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$6.30 RON 29.83

194.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.02 RON 4.82

74.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.78 RON 8.43

60.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.75 RON 3.56

201.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$21.73 RON 103

1.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$0.66 RON 3.13

356.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.65 RON 3.07

63.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$6.38 RON 30.17

-39.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.85 RON 8.74

-21.62%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$28.0K RON 132.7K

-6.13%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$25.6K RON 121.0K

5.34%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$167 RON 790

-42.29%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$7.56 RON 35.75

46.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$7.72 RON 36.52

122.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$43.43 RON 205

20.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$20.90 RON 98.9

-46.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$6.77 RON 32.04

15.36%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$572 RON 2,709

-2.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$6,994 RON 33.1K

65.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$89.0 RON 421

-27.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$42.47 RON 201

-32.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$87.0 RON 412

9.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$87.2 RON 413

0.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$380 RON 1,800

93.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$289 RON 1,369

59.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$589 RON 2,784

255.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$450 RON 2,128

166.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,871 RON 8,851

86.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,335 RON 6,316

89.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$1,055 RON 4,992

-52.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bragadiru: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Bragadiru

$289 26.4% 37.4% $173

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Bragadiru

$211 19.3% 21.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Bragadiru

$182 16.6% 46.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Bragadiru

$138 12.5% 10.7% $13

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Bragadiru

$191 17.4% 57.3% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Bragadiru

$57 5.2% 16% $11

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Bragadiru

$29 2.6% 27.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $380 in Bragadiru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bragadiru pays 111% 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 $59.0 in Bragadiru. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $211, with Bragadiru cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇴 Bragadiru

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

23:04 11:04 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

15,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Bragadiru 8,000 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bragadiru

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 Bragadiru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bragadiru is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 111% lower in Bragadiru. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $380 in Bragadiru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bragadiru runs roughly 2% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $572 in Bragadiru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,097 in Bragadiru versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bragadiru but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bragadiru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bragadiru 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 Bragadiru 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 Bragadiru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.