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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $947 in Satu Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,455 in Satu Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,962 in Satu Mare.

Living in Phuket is roughly 34% more expensive than Satu Mare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Satu Mare 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$8.97 RON 40.57

-47.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$46.81 RON 212

-3.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.73 RON 30.41

25.26%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.44 RON 11.04

20.08%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.72 RON 7.79

-59.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.46 RON 6.60

-74.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.01 RON 9.08

19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.27 RON 10.28

63.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.51 RON 6.84

47.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.13 RON 5.12

61.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.27 RON 5.72

70.87%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.09 RON 13.95

-28.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.29 RON 37.48

138.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.32 RON 28.56

-42.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$11.36 RON 51.4

19.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.09 RON 4.91

200.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.50 RON 6.77

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.40 RON 6.32

72.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.79 RON 8.08

16.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.71 RON 3.22

115.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.98 RON 4.45

51.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.67 RON 3.01

47.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.77 RON 3.48

-33.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$5.71 RON 25.82

-22.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.47 RON 29.26

199.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.25 RON 5.64

42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.67 RON 7.56

62.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.59 RON 2.68

132.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$25.41 RON 115

-55.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.83 RON 3.74

263.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.87 RON 3.94

13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.32 RON 33.08

92.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.55 RON 7.00

-12.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$25.1K RON 113.7K

12.15%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.4K RON 115.0K

29.35%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$137 RON 621

-11.36%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$8.00 RON 36.14

69.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$9.30 RON 42.06

96.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$48.87 RON 221

23.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$11.66 RON 52.7

47.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.79 RON 30.70

27.98%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$187 RON 844

271.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$10.3K RON 46.3K

53.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$65.8 RON 297

-9.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$30.23 RON 137

15.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$81.2 RON 367

41.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$76.5 RON 346

8.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$304 RON 1,374

101.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$236 RON 1,069

84.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$546 RON 2,469

283.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$348 RON 1,574

333.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,057 RON 4,776

254.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,117 RON 5,048

134.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$689 RON 3,115

-26.26%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $304 in Satu Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Satu Mare pays 36% 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 $47.00 in Satu Mare. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 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 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Satu Mare earns 36% 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 $304 in Satu Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $187 in Satu Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $947 in Satu Mare versus $1,265 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 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.