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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,087 in Sibiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,653 in Sibiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,219 in Sibiu.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sibiu 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$9.02 RON 40.76

-47.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$46.09 RON 208

-1.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$7.01 RON 31.68

20.26%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.10 RON 14.00

-5.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$2.08 RON 9.39

-66.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.73 RON 7.82

-78.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.74 RON 12.39

-12.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.50 RON 15.82

6.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.50 RON 6.77

48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.21 RON 5.48

51.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.60 RON 7.21

35.62%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.24 RON 14.65

-31.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.77 RON 35.12

154.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.22 RON 28.11

-41.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.97 RON 40.55

50.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.17 RON 5.27

180.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.52 RON 6.88

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.72 RON 7.79

40.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.15 RON 9.70

-3.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.82 RON 3.70

86.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.86 RON 3.91

72.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.03 RON 4.64

-3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.93 RON 4.20

-45.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$5.87 RON 26.52

-24.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.48 RON 38.35

128.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.02 RON 4.62

74.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.78 RON 8.06

52.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.71 RON 3.20

92.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$19.74 RON 89.2

-42.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.88 RON 3.96

243.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.87 RON 3.92

13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$9.08 RON 41.04

55.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.66 RON 7.49

-18.07%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$27.7K RON 125.2K

1.85%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.3K RON 118.8K

25.19%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$142 RON 644

-14.58%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$8.78 RON 39.70

54.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$11.43 RON 51.7

60.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$41.14 RON 186

46.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$15.52 RON 70.1

10.44%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.71 RON 30.34

29.51%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$423 RON 1,912

63.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,959 RON 31.5K

125.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$67.6 RON 306

-11.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$38.54 RON 174

-9.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$82.0 RON 371

39.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$94.5 RON 427

-11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$370 RON 1,672

65.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$326 RON 1,473

34.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$704 RON 3,180

197.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$572 RON 2,587

163.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,513 RON 11.4K

49.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,088 RON 9,439

25.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,157 RON 5,231

-56.09%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sibiu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $370 in Sibiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sibiu pays 128% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Sibiu. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $205, 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, Sibiu earns 128% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $370 in Sibiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $423 in Sibiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,087 in Sibiu versus $1,265 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.