Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sibiu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sibiu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,074 in Sibiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,655 in Sibiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,236 in Sibiu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Sibiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sibiu 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$9.30 RON 42.68

-51.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$45.72 RON 210

1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.98 RON 32.03

26.65%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.11 RON 14.28

-1.61%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$2.07 RON 9.50

-64.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.71 RON 7.87

-76.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.82 RON 12.95

-13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.42 RON 15.68

10.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.51 RON 6.95

49.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.26 RON 5.76

43.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.54 RON 7.08

46.10%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.22 RON 14.80

-30.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.88 RON 36.16

147.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.34 RON 29.12

-42.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.11 RON 41.80

43.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.16 RON 5.31

178.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.57 RON 7.20

3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.65 RON 7.56

44.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.21 RON 10.16

-8.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.77 RON 3.54

98.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.87 RON 4.02

72.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.05 RON 4.83

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.86 RON 3.96

-39.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.90 RON 27.09

-24.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.32 RON 38.21

120.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.99 RON 4.54

87.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.80 RON 8.26

48.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.72 RON 3.29

95.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$19.78 RON 90.8

-40.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.90 RON 4.15

245.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.83 RON 3.79

25.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$9.11 RON 41.84

54.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.65 RON 7.59

-20.61%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$28.4K RON 130.5K

-2.16%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.4K RON 121.2K

25.76%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$140 RON 643

-12.52%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.87 RON 40.72

53.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$11.42 RON 52.4

63.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$40.55 RON 186

49.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$15.36 RON 70.5

10.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.11 RON 32.63

27.57%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$437 RON 2,007

61.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$6,874 RON 31.6K

129.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$67.9 RON 312

-13.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$38.54 RON 177

-8.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$85.1 RON 391

35.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$94.4 RON 433

-11.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$376 RON 1,726

66.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$323 RON 1,482

37.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$690 RON 3,169

195.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$558 RON 2,563

167.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,531 RON 11.6K

37.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,061 RON 9,460

25.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,147 RON 5,266

-56.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.5

-18.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sibiu: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $376 in Sibiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sibiu pays 130% 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 $46.00 in Sibiu. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $206, with Sibiu 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 Sibiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibiu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 130% lower in Sibiu. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $376 in Sibiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $437 in Sibiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,074 in Sibiu versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sibiu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sibiu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sibiu 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 Sibiu 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 Sibiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.