Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Satu Mare

For one person, living is cheaper in Satu Mare: $930 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Satu Mare
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Satu Mare Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Satu Mare

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $930 in Satu Mare.

Phuket $1,208
Satu Mare $930

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,406 in Satu Mare.

Phuket $2,027
Satu Mare $1,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,883 in Satu Mare.

Phuket $2,845
Satu Mare $1,883

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Satu Mare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Satu Mare 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$8.20 RON 38.81

-46.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$32.51 RON 154

-0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$6.48 RON 30.67

35.19%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.50 RON 11.81

13.20%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.49 RON 7.04

-39.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.28 RON 6.07

-63.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.87 RON 8.87

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.44 RON 11.55

56.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.13 RON 5.33

53.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.06 RON 5.04

38.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.13 RON 5.36

33.63%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.69 RON 12.71

-19.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$7.35 RON 34.79

168.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$7.53 RON 35.63

-55.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$10.83 RON 51.2

3.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.10 RON 5.19

159.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.30 RON 6.15

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.28 RON 6.04

71.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.43 RON 6.75

43.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.19 RON 5.61

21.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.37 RON 6.48

0.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.88 RON 4.14

21.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.71 RON 3.34

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.57 RON 26.38

-23.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$6.19 RON 29.29

200.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.23 RON 5.80

44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.70 RON 8.06

67.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.54 RON 2.56

318.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$23.41 RON 111

-5.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$0.80 RON 3.79

276.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.85 RON 4.03

24.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$8.10 RON 38.34

-52.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.58 RON 7.47

-8.23%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$22.8K RON 107.9K

15.50%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$25.3K RON 119.5K

6.67%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$126 RON 597

-23.59%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$7.14 RON 33.79

54.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$7.25 RON 34.30

136.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$41.55 RON 197

25.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$10.68 RON 50.5

4.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$6.19 RON 29.29

26.17%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$155 RON 733

258.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$3,829 RON 18.1K

202.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$59.6 RON 282

7.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$28.51 RON 135

0.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$85.6 RON 405

11.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$69.2 RON 328

27.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$322 RON 1,524

128.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$260 RON 1,229

78.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$647 RON 3,060

223.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$410 RON 1,938

193.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,007 RON 4,765

246.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,056 RON 4,995

138.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$650 RON 3,075

-22.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.05

-20.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Satu Mare

$260 27.9% 43.8% $203

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Satu Mare

$195 21% 27.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Satu Mare

$141 15.1% 12.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Satu Mare

$109 11.8% 12% $15

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Satu Mare

$140 15.1% 15.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Satu Mare

$54 5.8% 20.4% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Satu Mare

$31 3.3% 22.3% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $322 in Satu Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Satu Mare pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Satu Mare. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $195, with Satu Mare cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇴 Satu Mare

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

02:27 2:27 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

102,411

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 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 October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Satu Mare 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Satu Mare

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 Satu Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Satu Mare is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Satu Mare. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $322 in Satu Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $155 in Satu Mare. 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 $930 in Satu Mare versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Satu Mare but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Satu Mare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare 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.