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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $987 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,496 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,004 in Roman.

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than Roman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Roman 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$12.23 RON 55.7

-61.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,489

$27.08 RON 123

67.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿277

$7.97 RON 36.29

5.77%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.1

$3.36 RON 15.31

-12.80%

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

$0.69 ฿22.50

$1.14 RON 5.19

-39.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$2.09 RON 9.49

-82.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.30 RON 15.01

-26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.37 RON 10.77

56.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.3

$1.53 RON 6.98

45.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$0.88 RON 3.99

107.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$1.66 RON 7.55

30.72%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$3.01 RON 13.72

-26.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿648

$8.62 RON 39.25

129.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.06 RON 32.14

-48.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$11.64 RON 53.0

16.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿108

$0.91 RON 4.14

260.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.9

$1.47 RON 6.71

9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.54 RON 6.99

56.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.25 RON 10.23

-7.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.84 RON 3.80

82.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.58

$1.02 RON 4.66

45.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.44

$0.88 RON 4.03

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.74

$0.82 RON 3.74

-37.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿145

$6.00 RON 27.31

-26.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$6.71 RON 30.53

188.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.4

$1.11 RON 5.03

60.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿89.0

$1.70 RON 7.74

59.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.99

$0.68 RON 3.07

101.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$20.08 RON 91.4

-43.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.1

$0.72 RON 3.27

319.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.63

$0.64 RON 2.93

54.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿463

$6.84 RON 31.15

106.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.71

$1.66 RON 7.55

-18.07%

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

$28.2K ฿925.3K

$28.4K RON 129.2K

-0.60%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.4K RON 124.6K

20.19%

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

$122 ฿3,993

$91.1 RON 415

33.55%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$3.48 RON 15.83

289.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿601

$5.62 RON 25.56

225.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,976

$40.73 RON 185

47.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$19.27 RON 87.7

-11.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$10.82 RON 49.25

-19.69%

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

$693 ฿22.8K

$324 RON 1,474

114.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.7K

$6,501 RON 29.6K

141.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,953

$66.6 RON 303

-10.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,141

$17.36 RON 79.0

100.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,760

$96.2 RON 438

19.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,733

$33.87 RON 154

145.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$385 RON 1,751

59.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$287 RON 1,305

52.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$592 RON 2,694

253.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$433 RON 1,969

248.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.0K

$1,602 RON 7,291

134.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$1,480 RON 6,737

76.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$865 RON 3,937

-41.25%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Roman: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $385 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roman pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $210 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Roman earns 70% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $385 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $324 in Roman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $987 in Roman versus $1,265 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 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.