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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $996 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,492 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,987 in Roman.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than Roman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Roman 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$12.01 RON 52.1

-61.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$27.97 RON 121

66.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$7.95 RON 34.52

9.18%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$3.44 RON 14.92

-14.24%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.17 RON 5.06

-40.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$2.01 RON 8.74

-80.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$3.26 RON 14.13

-22.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.32 RON 10.06

62.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.53 RON 6.62

45.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.90 RON 3.89

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.65 RON 7.15

32.73%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$3.12 RON 13.56

-25.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.92 RON 38.71

116.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$7.13 RON 30.96

-47.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$11.58 RON 50.3

14.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$0.95 RON 4.13

250.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.53 RON 6.63

7.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.52 RON 6.62

50.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.24 RON 9.71

-11.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.78 RON 3.41

96.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.01 RON 4.38

49.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.87 RON 3.80

18.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.79 RON 3.41

-35.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$6.01 RON 26.07

-26.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$6.72 RON 29.18

188.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.13 RON 4.91

59.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.65 RON 7.18

62.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.72 RON 3.13

98.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$20.10 RON 87.3

-41.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.67 RON 2.89

353.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.64 RON 2.78

62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$6.77 RON 29.38

102.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.59 RON 6.91

-18.24%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$27.9K RON 121.1K

0.01%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$27.5K RON 119.4K

20.04%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$92.9 RON 403

32.40%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$3.48 RON 15.11

297.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$5.62 RON 24.41

235.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$41.77 RON 181

46.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$19.26 RON 83.6

-12.72%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$10.76 RON 46.69

-17.57%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$317 RON 1,377

119.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$6,640 RON 28.8K

141.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$66.5 RON 289

-10.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$17.07 RON 74.1

104.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$95.1 RON 413

19.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$35.00 RON 152

143.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$391 RON 1,696

57.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$292 RON 1,266

53.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$582 RON 2,525

258.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$442 RON 1,917

238.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,691 RON 7,339

120.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,271 RON 5,515

109.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$882 RON 3,828

-39.51%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Roman: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $391 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roman pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $28 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Roman earns 65% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $391 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $317 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 $996 in Roman versus $1,270 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.