Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Satu Mare Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Satu Mare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $973 in Satu Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,472 in Satu Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,972 in Satu Mare.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Satu Mare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$9.49 RON 43.54

-52.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$46.08 RON 212

0.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.77 RON 31.06

30.58%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.42 RON 11.11

26.45%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.72 RON 7.89

-57.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.40 RON 6.42

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.13 RON 9.79

14.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.27 RON 10.40

66.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.48 RON 6.81

52.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.13 RON 5.21

60.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.24 RON 5.70

81.45%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.21 RON 14.75

-29.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.91 RON 36.29

146.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.38 RON 29.28

-42.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.47 RON 52.7

13.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.14 RON 5.24

183.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.43 RON 6.57

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.42 RON 6.50

67.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.80 RON 8.27

12.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.72 RON 3.31

112.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.01 RON 4.65

48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.68 RON 3.11

44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.78 RON 3.58

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.80 RON 26.62

-23.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.55 RON 30.08

179.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.21 RON 5.56

53.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.72 RON 7.90

55.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.56 RON 2.55

151.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$25.62 RON 118

-54.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.91 RON 4.18

241.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.81 RON 3.70

28.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$7.35 RON 33.74

91.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.60 RON 7.34

-18.13%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$25.0K RON 114.7K

11.30%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.0K RON 119.3K

27.76%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$139 RON 636

-11.63%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.08 RON 37.10

68.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$9.45 RON 43.38

97.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$47.91 RON 220

26.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$11.58 RON 53.2

46.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.87 RON 31.52

32.02%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$181 RON 832

289.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$10.2K RON 46.6K

55.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$65.4 RON 300

-10.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$30.97 RON 142

14.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$83.7 RON 384

37.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$77.8 RON 357

7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$309 RON 1,417

102.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$241 RON 1,105

84.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$543 RON 2,491

275.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$343 RON 1,573

335.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,039 RON 4,771

235.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,078 RON 4,950

138.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$692 RON 3,174

-27.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.66

-19.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $309 in Satu Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Satu Mare pays 38% 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 $46.00 in Satu Mare. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $202, with Satu Mare cheaper for home cooking.

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 & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 38% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $309 in Satu Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $181 in Satu Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $973 in Satu Mare versus $1,250 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 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.