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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,410 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,148 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,886 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 11% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$11.41 RON 52.4

-60.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$57.8 RON 265

-20.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.14 RON 37.36

8.60%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.39 RON 15.54

-9.73%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$2.35 RON 10.78

-68.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$2.11 RON 9.67

-81.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.26 RON 14.99

-25.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.02 RON 18.46

-5.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.79 RON 8.23

26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.35 RON 6.19

34.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.86 RON 8.56

20.97%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.35 RON 15.38

-32.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.69 RON 44.47

101.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.06 RON 32.40

-48.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.93 RON 54.8

9.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.24 RON 5.71

160.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.72 RON 7.91

-5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.64 RON 7.52

45.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.37 RON 10.90

-14.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.95 RON 4.35

61.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.93 RON 4.25

61.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.09 RON 4.99

-10.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.90 RON 4.13

-42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.30 RON 28.94

-29.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.65 RON 35.10

139.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.17 RON 5.38

58.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.03 RON 9.32

32.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.71 RON 3.24

98.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$23.37 RON 107

-49.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.95 RON 4.35

227.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.81 RON 3.72

28.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$9.56 RON 43.86

47.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.63 RON 7.47

-19.63%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$27.6K RON 126.7K

0.78%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.1K RON 124.4K

22.62%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$160 RON 734

-23.43%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.06 RON 41.60

50.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$10.14 RON 46.54

84.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$44.86 RON 206

34.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$19.93 RON 91.5

-14.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.93 RON 36.41

14.38%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$475 RON 2,180

48.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$10.8K RON 49.4K

46.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$70.0 RON 321

-16.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$39.45 RON 181

-10.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$86.4 RON 397

33.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$100 RON 460

-16.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$714 RON 3,278

-12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$559 RON 2,566

-20.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,244 RON 5,709

64.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$943 RON 4,329

58.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,645 RON 21.3K

-25.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$3,395 RON 15.6K

-24.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,314 RON 6,032

-61.96%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $714 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 163% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 163% lower in Cluj-Napoca. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $714 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 100% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $475 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,410 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 13% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.