Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Brasov Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Brasov

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,265 in Brasov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,970 in Brasov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,675 in Brasov.

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Brasov; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Brasov 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$12.18 RON 55.1

-61.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$49.75 RON 225

-8.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$8.19 RON 37.02

2.93%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.47 RON 15.69

-15.56%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.95 RON 8.81

-64.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$2.10 RON 9.48

-82.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.25 RON 14.67

-25.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.50 RON 15.80

6.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.49 RON 6.72

49.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.33 RON 6.02

37.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.75 RON 7.89

24.00%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.39 RON 15.32

-34.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.49 RON 38.38

132.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.96 RON 31.46

-47.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$11.91 RON 53.8

13.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.19 RON 5.39

175.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.64 RON 7.39

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.60 RON 7.24

50.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.53 RON 11.43

-17.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.95 RON 4.30

61.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.07 RON 4.82

38.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.88 RON 3.99

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.85 RON 3.83

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$5.82 RON 26.30

-24.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$9.03 RON 40.82

114.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.14 RON 5.14

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.66 RON 7.50

63.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.91 RON 4.11

50.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$19.00 RON 85.9

-40.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.77 RON 3.47

292.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.60 RON 2.73

65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.88 RON 31.10

104.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.59 RON 7.20

-14.47%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$27.7K RON 125.4K

1.66%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.4K RON 123.9K

20.04%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$167 RON 754

-27.08%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$7.88 RON 35.63

72.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$9.28 RON 41.94

97.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$59.8 RON 270

0.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$15.86 RON 71.7

8.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$10.84 RON 48.99

-19.83%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$441 RON 1,995

57.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,608 RON 29.9K

137.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$65.8 RON 297

-9.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$42.49 RON 192

-18.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$95.8 RON 433

19.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$97.2 RON 440

-14.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$621 RON 2,808

-1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$419 RON 1,892

4.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,051 RON 4,751

99.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$701 RON 3,171

115.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$3,190 RON 14.4K

17.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,490 RON 11.3K

5.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,082 RON 4,892

-53.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.7

-30.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Brasov: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $621 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasov pays 113% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $50.0 in Brasov. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $225, with Brasov 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 Brasov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, Brasov earns 113% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $621 in Brasov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $441 in Brasov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasov – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Brasov versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasov but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Brasov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Brasov are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Brasov wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.