Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sfantu Gheorghe

For one person, living is cheaper in Sfantu Gheorghe: $806 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Sfantu Gheorghe
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Sfantu Gheorghe Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Sfantu Gheorghe

🇷🇴 Romania

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sfantu Gheorghe

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Sfantu Gheorghe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $806 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Phuket $1,294
Sfantu Gheorghe $806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,290 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Phuket $2,204
Sfantu Gheorghe $1,290

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,773 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Phuket $3,115
Sfantu Gheorghe $1,773

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than in Sfantu Gheorghe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Sfantu Gheorghe 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$8.25 RON 39.24

-46.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$42.14 RON 200

-23.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$7.37 RON 35.05

18.05%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$2.48 RON 11.78

9.68%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$1.23 RON 5.86

-24.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$1.04 RON 4.94

-51.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$2.53 RON 12.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$2.09 RON 9.93

73.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$1.42 RON 6.73

22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$1.17 RON 5.58

23.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.39 RON 6.59

7.91%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$3.29 RON 15.64

-34.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

$8.08 RON 38.41

136.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$4.49 RON 21.32

-24.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$8.08 RON 38.39

34.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$1.03 RON 4.91

185.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.48 RON 7.04

14.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$1.21 RON 5.77

80.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$2.54 RON 12.08

-16.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

$0.71 RON 3.37

105.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

$0.65 RON 3.09

110.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

$0.99 RON 4.69

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$0.74 RON 3.52

-25.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$4.75 RON 22.58

-6.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$7.24 RON 34.43

152.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$0.96 RON 4.56

84.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$1.08 RON 5.12

166.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$0.88 RON 4.18

64.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

$15.50 RON 73.7

254.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$0.91 RON 4.31

65.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$0.88 RON 4.16

-11.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$9.16 RON 43.54

-58.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$1.55 RON 7.38

-3.87%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

$28.5K RON 135.4K

-5.67%

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

$25.8K RON 122.6K

2.17%

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$114 RON 543

-14.43%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$9.20 RON 43.71

22.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$12.38 RON 58.8

38.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

$40.46 RON 192

68.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$20.66 RON 98.2

-47.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$3.21 RON 15.26

131.46%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$447 RON 2,127

18.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

$10.2K RON 48.4K

84.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$26.06 RON 124

136.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$13.55 RON 64.4

108.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

$39.24 RON 187

144.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

$61.7 RON 293

40.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$287 RON 1,365

151.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$207 RON 984

145.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

$533 RON 2,535

265.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

$395 RON 1,879

253.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

$1,875 RON 8,912

123.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

$1,321 RON 6,277

149.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$689 RON 3,273

-28.60%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$207 25.7% 59.3% $302

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$185 22.9% 30.8% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$136 16.9% 7.6% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$63 7.9% 48.5% $59

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$144 17.9% 20.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$47 5.8% 43.6% $36

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$24 3% 63.2% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $287 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: $32 in Phuket vs $42 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $185, with Sfantu Gheorghe cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇴 Sfantu Gheorghe

🕒 Local time

09:37 9:37 AM

04:37 4:37 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

56,006

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Sfantu Gheorghe 8,030 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sfantu Gheorghe

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 38% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Phuket. 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: $721 in Phuket versus $287 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $447 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $806 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sfantu Gheorghe are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.