Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Miercurea Ciuc

For one person, living is cheaper in Miercurea Ciuc: $742 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Miercurea Ciuc
Learn more

Miercurea Ciuc Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Miercurea Ciuc

🇷🇴 Romania

$742

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Miercurea Ciuc

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $742 in Miercurea Ciuc, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Miercurea Ciuc $742

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,182 in Miercurea Ciuc, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Miercurea Ciuc $1,182

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,622 in Miercurea Ciuc, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Miercurea Ciuc $1,622

Phuket costs about 72% more than Miercurea Ciuc, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Miercurea Ciuc are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Miercurea Ciuc 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$6.31 RON 30.08

-29.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$20.74 RON 98.8

56.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.38 RON 30.40

38.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.65 RON 7.84

71.52%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$1.61 RON 7.68

-45.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.39 RON 6.62

-64.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.94 RON 9.26

31.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.97 RON 9.37

86.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.42 RON 6.77

16.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$1.13 RON 5.41

29.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.37 RON 6.53

9.49%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.44 RON 16.40

-39.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.80 RON 37.15

144.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.74 RON 22.60

-30.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.09 RON 38.55

34.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$0.75 RON 3.57

290.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.49 RON 7.10

13.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.47 RON 7.03

53.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.60 RON 12.39

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.66 RON 3.14

128.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$0.61 RON 2.91

126.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$0.41 RON 1.95

160.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$0.61 RON 2.91

-14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.13 RON 24.46

-18.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.17 RON 24.63

263.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$0.89 RON 4.22

104.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.27 RON 6.06

123.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.83 RON 3.95

74.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$21.22 RON 101

167.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.96 RON 4.58

214.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$0.88 RON 4.18

15.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$8.24 RON 39.27

-55.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.74 RON 8.27

-15.52%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$25.3K RON 120.4K

5.96%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$25.5K RON 121.5K

4.65%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$114 RON 544

-15.66%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$5.14 RON 24.48

119.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$5.14 RON 24.50

227.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$31.85 RON 152

111.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$10.41 RON 49.58

3.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.80 RON 22.88

56.25%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$437 RON 2,080

9.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$6,663 RON 31.7K

69.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$42.30 RON 202

47.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$16.93 RON 80.7

67.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$69.0 RON 329

36.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$85.1 RON 405

0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$188 RON 896

280.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$158 RON 751

211.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$414 RON 1,972

365.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$376 RON 1,792

280.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$1,436 RON 6,844

190.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,382 RON 6,583

120.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$690 RON 3,289

-27.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.85

-18.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Miercurea Ciuc

$158 21.2% 67.9% $333

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Miercurea Ciuc

$177 23.9% 33.4% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Miercurea Ciuc

$125 16.8% 0% $0

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Miercurea Ciuc

$96 12.9% 21.2% $26

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Miercurea Ciuc

$115 15.5% 5.5% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Miercurea Ciuc

$41 5.6% 49.6% $41

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Miercurea Ciuc

$30 4% 57.7% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $188 in Miercurea Ciuc. 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 37% higher in Miercurea Ciuc, 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 $32 in Phuket versus $21 in Miercurea Ciuc. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $177 – making Miercurea Ciuc the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇴 Miercurea Ciuc

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

21:06 9:06 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

38,966

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.188 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Miercurea Ciuc 8,040 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Miercurea Ciuc

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 Miercurea Ciuc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,113 in Miercurea Ciuc. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Miercurea Ciuc, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $188 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $21 in Miercurea Ciuc. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Miercurea Ciuc, where all-in costs run around $742, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Miercurea Ciuc it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Miercurea Ciuc is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 42% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.