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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $896 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,391 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,886 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 41% more expensive than in Sfantu Gheorghe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Sfantu Gheorghe 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$8.48 RON 38.55

-47.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$40.22 RON 183

13.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$8.76 RON 39.84

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.02 RON 9.19

47.03%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.30 RON 5.93

-46.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.11 RON 5.04

-64.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.20 RON 10.02

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.70 RON 12.28

38.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.63 RON 7.43

31.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.17 RON 5.34

55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.40 RON 6.37

55.71%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.96 RON 13.47

-23.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.79 RON 39.95

127.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.19 RON 19.04

-13.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$12.80 RON 58.2

5.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.01 RON 4.60

220.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.37 RON 6.23

19.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.23 RON 5.61

89.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.02 RON 9.17

2.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.66 RON 3.00

134.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.94 RON 4.28

55.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.80 RON 3.63

22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.72 RON 3.26

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.69 RON 25.88

-23.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.35 RON 37.98

122.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.07 RON 4.87

73.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.14 RON 5.17

132.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.68 RON 3.09

108.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$19.85 RON 90.3

-41.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.88 RON 4.01

260.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.69 RON 3.12

49.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$7.47 RON 33.98

85.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.52 RON 6.93

-11.84%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$28.4K RON 129.1K

-2.13%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$28.0K RON 127.4K

19.15%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$172 RON 780

-28.28%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$8.50 RON 38.63

62.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$9.96 RON 45.27

84.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$41.93 RON 191

44.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$19.27 RON 87.6

-10.95%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.51 RON 15.97

152.71%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$426 RON 1,938

61.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,971 RON 31.7K

126.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$34.68 RON 158

70.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$18.68 RON 84.9

85.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$27.75 RON 126

315.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$68.5 RON 312

22.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$312 RON 1,420

98.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$226 RON 1,027

97.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$583 RON 2,649

249.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$438 RON 1,993

241.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,995 RON 9,071

73.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,401 RON 6,368

80.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$693 RON 3,151

-28.77%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $312 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sfantu Gheorghe pays 40% 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 $40.00 in Sfantu Gheorghe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $200 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 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Sfantu Gheorghe. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $312 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $426 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $896 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $1,264 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 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.