Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Craiova

For one person, living is cheaper in Craiova: $1,217 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $730 less a year. The total is higher in Phuket despite lower rent and utilities.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
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Craiova Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Craiova

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,217 in Craiova.

Phuket $1,278
Craiova $1,217

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,869 in Craiova.

Phuket $2,216
Craiova $1,869

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,520 in Craiova.

Phuket $3,154
Craiova $2,520

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than in Craiova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Craiova 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$7.14 RON 34.11

-37.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$41.37 RON 198

-21.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.45 RON 35.60

18.26%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.71 RON 12.96

4.43%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.23 RON 10.63

-60.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.77 RON 8.45

-72.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.24 RON 10.70

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.51 RON 16.78

4.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.27 RON 6.08

30.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.82 RON 3.92

78.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.42 RON 6.76

5.63%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.26 RON 15.56

-35.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.21 RON 34.47

164.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.47 RON 30.92

-49.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.49 RON 54.9

-5.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$0.95 RON 4.53

208.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.50 RON 7.15

12.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.45 RON 6.93

55.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.80 RON 8.61

15.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.76 RON 3.65

98.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.89 RON 4.27

55.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.73 RON 3.50

46.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.77 RON 3.66

-32.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.59 RON 31.47

-36.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.34 RON 30.29

196.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.20 RON 5.75

51.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.46 RON 6.99

94.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.88 RON 4.19

64.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$25.16 RON 120

125.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.61 RON 2.93

395.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.65 RON 3.09

56.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$6.37 RON 30.46

-42.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.90 RON 9.10

-22.63%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$28.9K RON 138.0K

-7.26%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$25.8K RON 123.5K

3.31%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$216 RON 1,034

-55.49%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$9.24 RON 44.18

21.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$11.57 RON 55.3

45.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$38.59 RON 184

74.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$21.52 RON 103

-50.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.28 RON 34.77

3.02%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$411 RON 1,962

15.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$8,047 RON 38.5K

39.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$62.9 RON 301

-0.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$50.6 RON 242

-43.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$82.8 RON 396

13.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$103 RON 494

-17.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$532 RON 2,541

34.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$418 RON 2,000

17.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$910 RON 4,346

111.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$829 RON 3,961

72.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,703 RON 12.9K

54.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,988 RON 9,498

53.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$914 RON 4,368

-45.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.84

-18.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Craiova: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Craiova

$418 34.4% 14.8% $72

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Craiova

$194 16% 27% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Craiova

$237 19.5% 90.6% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Craiova

$135 11.1% 10.6% $13

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Craiova

$146 12% 20.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Craiova

$53 4.4% 35.4% $29

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Craiova

$33 2.7% 53.9% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $532 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Craiova pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $41 in Craiova. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $194, with Craiova cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇴 Craiova

🕒 Local time

06:21 6:21 AM

01:21 1:21 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

269,506

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Craiova 8,170 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Craiova

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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Craiova wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Craiova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $532 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,217 in Craiova – Craiova is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 56% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Craiova is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Craiova are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.