Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Onesti

For one person, living is cheaper in Onesti: $1,042 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Onesti
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Onesti Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Onesti

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Onesti

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $1,042 in Onesti, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Onesti $1,042

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $1,597 in Onesti, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Onesti $1,597

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $2,153 in Onesti, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Onesti $2,153

Phuket costs about 24% more than Onesti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Onesti are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Onesti 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$10.35 RON 49.20

-57.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$41.83 RON 199

-22.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$7.13 RON 33.88

22.02%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$2.97 RON 14.11

-8.42%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$2.20 RON 10.47

-57.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$1.78 RON 8.45

-71.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$3.16 RON 15.03

-19.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$3.72 RON 17.69

-2.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$1.04 RON 4.92

67.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$1.34 RON 6.38

8.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.92 RON 9.14

-21.87%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$2.94 RON 13.96

-26.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

$7.46 RON 35.46

155.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$6.56 RON 31.18

-48.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$10.11 RON 48.07

7.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$1.03 RON 4.90

185.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.45 RON 6.89

16.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$1.68 RON 8.00

30.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$2.06 RON 9.81

2.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

$0.80 RON 3.80

82.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

$0.82 RON 3.89

67.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

$1.12 RON 5.32

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$0.61 RON 2.88

-9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$6.32 RON 30.06

-29.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$5.34 RON 25.38

241.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$1.34 RON 6.35

32.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$2.14 RON 10.15

34.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$0.70 RON 3.30

107.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

$22.70 RON 108

141.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$0.80 RON 3.81

88.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$0.88 RON 4.16

-11.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$8.57 RON 40.74

-55.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$1.43 RON 6.81

4.20%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

$28.5K RON 135.6K

-5.77%

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

$26.1K RON 124.1K

0.92%

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$186 RON 882

-47.29%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$7.43 RON 35.31

51.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$8.70 RON 41.34

97.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

$36.79 RON 175

85.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$20.40 RON 97.0

-46.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$8.50 RON 40.41

-12.59%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$389 RON 1,848

36.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

$7,819 RON 37.2K

140.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$37.62 RON 179

63.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$39.20 RON 186

-27.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

$94.7 RON 450

1.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

$91.9 RON 437

-5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$406 RON 1,931

77.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$261 RON 1,242

94.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

$653 RON 3,102

198.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

$464 RON 2,203

201.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

$1,929 RON 9,170

117.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

$1,329 RON 6,315

148.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$634 RON 3,015

-22.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.18

-22.42%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Onesti: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Onesti

$261 25.1% 48.7% $248

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Onesti

$197 18.9% 26.2% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Onesti

$202 19.4% 59.7% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Onesti

$119 11.4% 3.4% $4.2

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Onesti

$179 17.2% 49.7% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Onesti

$54 5.2% 35.3% $29

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Onesti

$31 2.9% 53.6% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $406 in Onesti. 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 29% higher in Onesti, 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 $42 in Onesti. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Phuket vs $197 in Onesti – so Onesti wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇴 Onesti

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

03:49 3:49 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

57,333

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Onesti 7,970 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Onesti

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 Onesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 24% more than Onesti, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $1,563 in Onesti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Onesti, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $406 there versus $721 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $42 in Onesti. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $1,042 in Onesti. That makes Onesti about 19% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,294 in Phuket and $1,042 in Onesti. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Onesti – 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.