Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dealu

For one person, living is cheaper in Dealu: $1,041 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Dealu
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Dealu Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Dealu

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,041

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Dealu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,041 in Dealu.

Phuket $1,278
Dealu $1,041

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,724 in Dealu.

Phuket $2,216
Dealu $1,724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,407 in Dealu.

Phuket $3,154
Dealu $2,407

Living in Phuket is roughly 23% more expensive than in Dealu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Dealu 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$14.16 RON 68.1

-68.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$84.5 RON 406

-61.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.18 RON 39.29

7.70%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$1.94 RON 9.35

45.88%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$2.03 RON 9.77

-57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.90 RON 9.11

-74.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$2.49 RON 11.95

2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.23 RON 15.55

13.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.77 RON 8.49

-6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.35 RON 6.47

8.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.66 RON 7.97

-9.64%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.44 RON 21.33

-52.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$8.48 RON 40.74

124.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.54 RON 26.61

-40.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.98 RON 47.98

9.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.11 RON 5.32

163.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.48 RON 7.12

14.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.57 RON 7.52

43.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.58 RON 12.41

-19.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.72 RON 3.45

109.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.68 RON 3.29

102.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.75 RON 3.62

42.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.81 RON 3.89

-35.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.25 RON 25.24

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.25 RON 30.04

200.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.46 RON 7.00

24.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.94 RON 9.33

46.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.76 RON 3.67

90.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$21.52 RON 103

163.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.71 RON 3.40

325.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.68 RON 3.26

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$6.79 RON 32.62

-45.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.88 RON 9.04

-21.81%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$28.9K RON 139.0K

-7.41%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$28.2K RON 135.6K

-5.38%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$104 RON 500

-7.48%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$10.82 RON 52.0

4.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$4.75 RON 22.85

254.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$37.71 RON 181

78.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$20.38 RON 97.9

-47.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$10.46 RON 50.3

-28.30%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$589 RON 2,830

-19.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$6,936 RON 33.3K

62.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$58.1 RON 279

7.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$33.95 RON 163

-16.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$125 RON 600

-24.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$105 RON 506

-18.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$391 RON 1,880

83.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$282 RON 1,353

74.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$598 RON 2,876

222.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$439 RON 2,110

225.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,851 RON 8,895

125.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,341 RON 6,447

126.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.97

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dealu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Dealu

$282 27% 42.6% $209

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Dealu

$212 20.4% 20.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Dealu

$120 11.5% 3.8% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Dealu

$145 13.9% 18.9% $23

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Dealu

$196 18.8% 60.9% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Dealu

$59 5.6% 28.7% $24

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Dealu

$29 2.8% 59.4% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $391 in Dealu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $84 in Dealu. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $212, with Dealu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇴 Dealu

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 AM

19:42 7:42 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

3,800

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.81 RON (1 RON = 0.208 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Dealu 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Dealu

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 Dealu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dealu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,562 in Dealu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $391 in Dealu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $84 in Dealu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,041 in Dealu – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Dealu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.