Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Craiova Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Craiova

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,115 in Craiova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,639 in Craiova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,163 in Craiova.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than Craiova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Craiova 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$8.96 RON 40.53

-49.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$46.48 RON 210

0.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.99 RON 36.16

6.01%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.59 RON 11.73

16.99%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.09 RON 9.44

-66.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.87 RON 8.44

-80.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.35 RON 10.61

5.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.52 RON 15.94

3.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.51 RON 6.84

44.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.00 RON 4.51

90.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.71 RON 7.72

28.65%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.27 RON 14.78

-32.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.76 RON 35.10

157.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.54 RON 29.60

-44.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.45 RON 42.75

40.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.28 RON 5.80

152.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.69 RON 7.64

0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.57 RON 7.11

52.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.87 RON 8.47

11.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.03 RON 4.68

54.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.12 RON 5.07

32.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.80 RON 3.61

28.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.80 RON 3.64

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.03 RON 27.26

-29.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$6.00 RON 27.16

213.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.31 RON 5.95

34.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.26 RON 10.24

22.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.67 RON 3.02

102.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$23.28 RON 105

-51.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.57 RON 2.58

450.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.83 RON 3.77

25.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$7.10 RON 32.12

93.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.61 RON 7.27

-16.77%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$27.5K RON 124.6K

0.47%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$27.8K RON 125.9K

21.65%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$212 RON 957

-41.60%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.06 RON 36.48

67.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$11.54 RON 52.2

61.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$36.06 RON 163

71.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$18.75 RON 84.8

-8.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.69 RON 30.28

36.62%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$436 RON 1,971

61.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,920 RON 40.4K

77.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$80.5 RON 364

-26.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$36.68 RON 166

-4.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$78.5 RON 355

46.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$87.8 RON 397

-4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$387 RON 1,751

59.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$307 RON 1,389

40.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$727 RON 3,287

183.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$448 RON 2,028

237.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,639 RON 11.9K

38.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$2,047 RON 9,260

28.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$998 RON 4,516

-49.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.28

-15.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Craiova: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $387 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Craiova pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $203 per month, with Craiova cheaper across the board.

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 13% 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, Craiova earns 97% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $387 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $1,115 in Craiova – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

At $1,115 in Craiova versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Craiova but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Craiova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Craiova delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,115 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Craiova hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Craiova 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 Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.