Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sighetu Marmatiei Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sighetu Marmatiei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $970 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,405 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,841 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than Sighetu Marmatiei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sighetu Marmatiei 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.79 RON 29.60

-31.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$23.27 RON 101

101.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.51 RON 28.40

35.79%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.87 RON 8.16

60.43%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.98 RON 8.65

-62.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.61 RON 7.02

-77.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.11 RON 9.20

15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.97 RON 12.94

21.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.24 RON 5.40

82.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.15 RON 5.00

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.89 RON 8.23

18.52%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.91 RON 12.68

-20.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.30 RON 36.20

136.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.93 RON 30.24

-47.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.51 RON 50.2

13.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$0.91 RON 3.99

272.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.52 RON 6.65

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.45 RON 6.31

66.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.93 RON 8.42

5.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.77 RON 3.35

102.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.06 RON 4.60

41.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.00 RON 4.38

2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.60 RON 2.63

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.58 RON 24.32

-20.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$6.85 RON 29.85

175.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.94 RON 4.10

89.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.54 RON 6.73

78.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.67 RON 2.91

108.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$20.15 RON 87.8

-43.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.12 RON 4.90

178.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.81 RON 3.52

23.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$7.11 RON 31.01

98.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.54 RON 6.74

-12.34%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$28.1K RON 122.3K

-3.10%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.0K RON 113.3K

26.71%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$158 RON 689

-20.93%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$7.95 RON 34.66

70.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$9.79 RON 42.67

89.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$41.00 RON 179

49.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$19.13 RON 83.4

-11.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.68 RON 20.39

96.37%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$300 RON 1,308

132.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$9,799 RON 42.7K

59.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$37.62 RON 164

53.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.79 RON 130

18.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$72.9 RON 318

55.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$73.0 RON 318

18.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$382 RON 1,663

61.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$285 RON 1,241

56.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$588 RON 2,566

247.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$446 RON 1,946

234.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,648 RON 7,184

129.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,371 RON 5,979

93.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$571 RON 2,488

-8.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.11

-25.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sighetu Marmatiei: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $382 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sighetu Marmatiei pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Sighetu Marmatiei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $203 per month, with Sighetu Marmatiei 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 Sighetu Marmatiei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sighetu Marmatiei is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sighetu Marmatiei earns 9% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $382 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $300 in Sighetu Marmatiei. 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 $970 in Sighetu Marmatiei versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sighetu Marmatiei but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sighetu Marmatiei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sighetu Marmatiei 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 Sighetu Marmatiei 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 Sighetu Marmatiei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.