Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cugir Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cugir

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $951 in Cugir, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,397 in Cugir, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,844 in Cugir, rent included.

Phuket costs about 30% more than Cugir, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Cugir are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Cugir 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.37 RON 27.70

-27.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$23.07 RON 100

103.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$7.90 RON 34.37

11.90%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$1.68 RON 7.30

78.57%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$1.43 RON 6.21

-48.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$1.31 RON 5.70

-71.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$1.63 RON 7.10

49.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$2.26 RON 9.83

59.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$1.48 RON 6.45

52.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$1.26 RON 5.48

46.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$1.48 RON 6.46

51.35%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$3.23 RON 14.04

-28.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$9.56 RON 41.57

105.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.34 RON 27.57

-42.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$11.27 RON 49.02

16.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$1.10 RON 4.77

208.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$1.54 RON 6.70

6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$1.59 RON 6.91

51.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$2.47 RON 10.76

-17.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$0.72 RON 3.15

116.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$0.98 RON 4.25

53.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$0.72 RON 3.13

41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.78 RON 3.37

-37.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.00 RON 26.09

-25.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$7.01 RON 30.49

169.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$1.22 RON 5.30

45.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$1.69 RON 7.33

62.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$0.70 RON 3.06

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

$20.10 RON 87.5

-42.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$0.59 RON 2.57

428.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$0.54 RON 2.35

85.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$5.90 RON 25.66

138.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.48 RON 6.42

-8.78%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$27.6K RON 120.1K

-1.52%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.8K RON 116.8K

22.64%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$139 RON 603

-9.83%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$8.60 RON 37.40

57.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$9.38 RON 40.81

97.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$41.61 RON 181

47.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$19.03 RON 82.8

-11.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$7.83 RON 34.06

17.37%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$488 RON 2,125

42.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$10.1K RON 44.1K

53.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$35.20 RON 153

64.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$9.44 RON 41.07

273.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$83.8 RON 365

34.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$91.0 RON 396

-5.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$394 RON 1,716

56.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$292 RON 1,271

52.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$585 RON 2,546

249.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$443 RON 1,929

236.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

$1,798 RON 7,823

110.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

$1,554 RON 6,762

70.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

$584 RON 2,542

-10.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.66

-19.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cugir: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $394 in Cugir. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in Cugir, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $23.00 in Cugir. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $214 – making Cugir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cugir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 30%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,426 in Cugir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cugir, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $23.00 in Cugir. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,232 in Phuket and $951 in Cugir. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cugir, where all-in costs run around $951, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Cugir it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cugir – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cugir. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.