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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $864 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,354 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,845 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than in Sfantu Gheorghe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Sfantu Gheorghe 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.81 RON 40.36

-49.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$43.44 RON 199

-25.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.67 RON 35.12

16.43%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.73 RON 12.50

6.23%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.36 RON 6.24

-35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$1.08 RON 4.97

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.59 RON 11.84

-9.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.19 RON 10.04

69.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.51 RON 6.94

23.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.17 RON 5.34

25.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.48 RON 6.77

4.73%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$3.51 RON 16.07

-40.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$8.35 RON 38.24

134.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.74 RON 21.72

-27.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$8.15 RON 37.35

39.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.14 RON 5.22

161.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.58 RON 7.25

6.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.27 RON 5.80

74.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$2.77 RON 12.70

-22.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.74 RON 3.38

105.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.63 RON 2.89

112.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.03 RON 4.72

9.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.79 RON 3.62

-30.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.11 RON 23.43

-16.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$7.68 RON 35.17

148.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.98 RON 4.49

81.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.09 RON 4.98

155.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.91 RON 4.19

145.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$16.75 RON 76.7

35.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.98 RON 4.49

209.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.92 RON 4.19

10.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.64 RON 39.60

-54.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.70 RON 7.77

-12.35%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$29.2K RON 133.7K

-8.94%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$26.2K RON 119.8K

3.32%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$120 RON 549

-14.44%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$9.68 RON 44.32

17.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$12.73 RON 58.3

36.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$41.97 RON 192

24.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$21.10 RON 96.6

-47.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$3.38 RON 15.49

127.51%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$460 RON 2,109

21.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$7,020 RON 32.2K

63.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$27.87 RON 128

126.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$14.18 RON 65.0

108.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$40.16 RON 184

144.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$67.6 RON 310

30.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$299 RON 1,368

147.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$223 RON 1,020

116.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$546 RON 2,502

285.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$422 RON 1,932

190.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,936 RON 8,869

86.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,389 RON 6,361

87.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$707 RON 3,238

-30.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $299 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $194, with Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sfantu Gheorghe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 43% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $299 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $460 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $864 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $1,232 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 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.