Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Roman Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Roman

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $972 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,490 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,008 in Roman.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Roman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Roman 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$12.30 RON 56.4

-63.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,565

$27.10 RON 124

71.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$8.03 RON 36.86

7.72%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.39 RON 15.57

-8.85%

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

$0.68 ฿22.89

$1.13 RON 5.17

-39.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.44

$2.00 RON 9.16

-81.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$3.26 RON 14.94

-25.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿129

$2.35 RON 10.78

62.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$1.53 RON 7.02

42.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$0.96 RON 4.39

89.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$1.65 RON 7.57

32.12%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.4

$3.02 RON 13.85

-25.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿673

$8.91 RON 40.89

123.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$7.12 RON 32.65

-48.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿458

$11.33 RON 52.0

19.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$0.96 RON 4.40

242.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.47 RON 6.72

14.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.8

$1.53 RON 7.00

52.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.4

$2.23 RON 10.25

-8.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.85 RON 3.89

88.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.5

$1.07 RON 4.90

39.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.17

$0.88 RON 4.02

14.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.85 RON 3.88

-43.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$5.84 RON 26.80

-23.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿629

$6.37 RON 29.21

192.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.3

$1.14 RON 5.23

57.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.4

$1.64 RON 7.53

70.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.90

$0.71 RON 3.25

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$20.00 RON 91.8

-43.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$0.68 RON 3.12

354.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.19

$0.61 RON 2.81

70.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿460

$6.83 RON 31.34

99.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.23

$1.64 RON 7.55

-20.12%

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

$27.3K ฿920.7K

$27.5K RON 126.1K

-0.75%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.3K RON 125.3K

21.67%

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

$123 ฿4,157

$93.1 RON 427

32.36%

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

$13.81 ฿466

$3.50 RON 16.08

294.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿625

$5.70 RON 26.13

224.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,037

$41.82 RON 192

44.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

$19.16 RON 87.9

-12.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿300

$10.91 RON 50.1

-18.52%

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

$687 ฿23.2K

$321 RON 1,472

113.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿524.8K

$6,502 RON 29.8K

139.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,945

$65.8 RON 302

-12.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,170

$17.44 RON 80.0

98.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,879

$97.6 RON 448

17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,865

$34.28 RON 157

147.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$393 RON 1,804

57.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿15.0K

$292 RON 1,341

51.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.1K

$594 RON 2,725

244.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.8K

$439 RON 2,016

242.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.4K

$1,727 RON 7,921

106.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.7K

$1,407 RON 6,453

78.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

$843 RON 3,867

-40.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.7

-30.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Roman: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $393 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roman pays 68% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $211 per month, with Roman cheaper across the board.

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 Roman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roman is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Roman. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $618 in Phuket versus $393 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $321 in Roman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $972 in Roman versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roman but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Roman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Roman is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Roman are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Roman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.