Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sfantu Gheorghe Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sfantu Gheorghe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $902 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,414 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,926 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 36% more expensive than Sfantu Gheorghe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sfantu Gheorghe 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$8.89 RON 40.03

-49.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$40.00 RON 180

16.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$8.91 RON 40.13

-4.71%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.10 RON 9.46

46.67%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.26 RON 5.69

-46.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.16 RON 5.22

-68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.22 RON 10.01

9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.71 RON 12.23

33.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.54 RON 6.95

42.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.18 RON 5.30

53.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.41 RON 6.33

58.16%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$3.06 RON 13.78

-26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$8.58 RON 38.65

128.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$4.21 RON 18.97

-11.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$12.71 RON 57.2

5.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$0.98 RON 4.41

242.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.30 RON 5.88

24.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.25 RON 5.63

92.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.91 RON 8.60

4.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.72 RON 3.23

112.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.92 RON 4.13

57.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.79 RON 3.55

27.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.72 RON 3.24

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$5.68 RON 25.57

-24.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$8.17 RON 36.81

134.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.04 RON 4.70

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.16 RON 5.25

136.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.68 RON 3.06

108.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$20.11 RON 90.6

-41.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.90 RON 4.05

233.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.74 RON 3.33

41.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$7.35 RON 33.11

89.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.61 RON 7.24

-19.88%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$27.6K RON 124.3K

1.57%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$28.5K RON 128.3K

17.56%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$167 RON 750

-26.77%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$8.68 RON 39.11

60.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$9.97 RON 44.89

89.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$40.80 RON 184

50.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$19.03 RON 85.7

-11.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$3.46 RON 15.58

156.94%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$435 RON 1,960

58.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$6,912 RON 31.1K

133.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$34.74 RON 156

66.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$18.77 RON 84.5

88.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$27.92 RON 126

306.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$70.0 RON 315

18.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$312 RON 1,403

94.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$234 RON 1,054

91.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$566 RON 2,550

258.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$425 RON 1,916

251.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,943 RON 8,753

84.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,362 RON 6,136

89.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$721 RON 3,247

-29.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.75

-21.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $312 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sfantu Gheorghe pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Sfantu Gheorghe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $197 per month, with Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sfantu Gheorghe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sfantu Gheorghe earns 43% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $312 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $435 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $902 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sfantu Gheorghe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sfantu Gheorghe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.