Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Resita

For one person, living is cheaper in Resita: $1,005 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Resita, Romania
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Resita
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,005
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Resita

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,005 in Resita.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Resita $1,005

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,505 in Resita.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Resita $1,505

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $2,005 in Resita.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Resita $2,005

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Resita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Resita 26% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Resita
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿147
$7.51 RON 35.69
-41.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,085
$41.46 RON 197
-22.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿292
$7.22 RON 34.33
20.50%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.5
$1.69 RON 8.04
60.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.25
$2.19 RON 10.43
-57.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.78
$1.79 RON 8.49
-72.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.0
$2.16 RON 10.25
17.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$3.44 RON 16.33
5.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Resita
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.4
$1.13 RON 5.39
53.98%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.73
$0.81 RON 3.85
79.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.37 RON 6.53
9.49%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.0
$3.42 RON 16.27
-36.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿641
$7.10 RON 33.76
168.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿114
$6.13 RON 29.14
-44.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿366
$11.13 RON 52.9
-2.07%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.8
$1.01 RON 4.82
191.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.8
$1.49 RON 7.06
13.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.7
$1.45 RON 6.90
51.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.4
$1.76 RON 8.38
20.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.99
$0.83 RON 3.95
75.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.95
$0.85 RON 4.06
61.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.14
$0.70 RON 3.31
54.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.32
$0.69 RON 3.30
-20.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$5.71 RON 27.14
-22.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿613
$5.39 RON 25.64
238.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.5
$0.65 RON 3.10
172.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.8
$1.07 RON 5.11
169.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Resita
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.62
$0.66 RON 3.14
119.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,844
$21.77 RON 104
152.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.8
$0.60 RON 2.85
151.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.06
$0.66 RON 3.12
18.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$9.63 RON 45.78
-60.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.96
$1.44 RON 6.83
3.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿902.9K
$29.1K RON 138.1K
-7.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿884.9K
$25.4K RON 120.5K
3.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Resita
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,285
$186 RON 883
-47.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿379
$9.56 RON 45.43
18.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿577
$11.49 RON 54.6
49.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Resita
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,295
$38.22 RON 182
78.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿367
$23.30 RON 111
-53.13%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿250
$7.17 RON 34.06
3.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Resita
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.8K
$332 RON 1,580
59.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿630.9K
$8,059 RON 38.3K
133.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Resita
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,072
$41.15 RON 196
49.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿949
$51.8 RON 246
-45.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,225
$74.8 RON 355
28.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,916
$62.7 RON 298
38.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Resita
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.2K
$378 RON 1,796
90.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.1K
$294 RON 1,397
73.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.5K
$622 RON 2,958
213.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿46.9K
$459 RON 2,184
204.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿140.8K
$1,937 RON 9,204
116.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.8K
$1,365 RON 6,490
141.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Resita
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.5K
$816 RON 3,879
-39.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.84
-18.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Resita: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Resita
$294 42.2% $215
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Resita
$184 31% $83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Resita
$207 63.8% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Resita
$104 15.5% $19
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Resita
$136 13.4% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Resita
$53 36.8% $31
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Resita
$28 57.2% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $378 in Resita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Resita pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $41 in Resita. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $184, with Resita cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇷🇴 Resita
🕒 Local time
10:25 10:25 AM
05:25 5:25 AM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
73,282
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Resita 8,330 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Resita

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 Resita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Resita cheaper than Phuket?
Resita is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Resita?
On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Resita?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $378 in Resita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $332 in Resita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Resita?
Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 enough for either Phuket or Resita?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Resita gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Resita?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Resita?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Resita are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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