Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cluj-Napoca Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cluj-Napoca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 9% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Cluj-Napoca is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$11.53 RON 52.2

-59.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$58.1 RON 263

-21.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$8.21 RON 37.15

2.68%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.37 RON 15.27

-13.06%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$2.42 RON 10.94

-71.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$2.19 RON 9.91

-83.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.25 RON 14.72

-25.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.90 RON 17.64

-4.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.74 RON 7.86

28.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.33 RON 6.04

37.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.84 RON 8.32

17.93%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$3.24 RON 14.66

-31.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.15 RON 45.94

94.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.89 RON 31.20

-47.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.08 RON 54.7

12.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.23 RON 5.57

166.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.73 RON 7.82

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.55 RON 7.03

55.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.33 RON 10.53

-10.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.02 RON 4.60

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.97 RON 4.39

52.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.04 RON 4.70

-4.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.88 RON 3.99

-42.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.53 RON 29.56

-32.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$7.94 RON 35.92

144.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.13 RON 5.10

57.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.05 RON 9.28

32.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.70 RON 3.18

95.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$23.33 RON 106

-51.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.00 RON 4.53

202.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.89 RON 4.03

11.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$9.45 RON 42.76

49.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.69 RON 7.64

-19.53%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$28.4K RON 128.8K

-0.87%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.1K RON 122.5K

21.57%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$161 RON 731

-24.59%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$9.19 RON 41.58

47.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$9.66 RON 43.71

89.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$44.75 RON 203

34.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$19.86 RON 89.9

-13.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$8.25 RON 37.35

5.33%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$491 RON 2,223

41.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$10.8K RON 49.0K

44.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$70.9 RON 321

-16.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$39.43 RON 178

-11.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$84.2 RON 381

36.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$99.5 RON 450

-16.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$692 RON 3,133

-11.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$550 RON 2,489

-20.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,244 RON 5,632

68.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$923 RON 4,180

63.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,494 RON 20.3K

-16.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$3,328 RON 15.1K

-21.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,378 RON 6,239

-63.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.85

-8.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 171% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $232, with Cluj-Napoca 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 Cluj-Napoca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cluj-Napoca earns 171% 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 $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 105% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $491 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cluj-Napoca, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cluj-Napoca 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.