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 $1,003 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,477 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,951 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Living in Phuket is roughly 23% more expensive than in Sighetu Marmatiei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Sighetu Marmatiei 27% 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

$21.75 RON 99.7

48.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.88 RON 36.09

13.32%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.72 RON 12.44

6.62%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.97 RON 9.04

-55.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$1.80 RON 8.24

-73.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.16 RON 9.88

8.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.30 RON 15.13

12.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.56 RON 7.16

19.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.12 RON 5.11

31.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.22 RON 5.59

27.05%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.99 RON 13.72

-29.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$8.56 RON 39.22

128.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.57 RON 30.09

-47.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$9.36 RON 42.89

21.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.12 RON 5.13

166.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.62 RON 7.42

3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.52 RON 6.95

45.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.44 RON 6.61

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.86 RON 3.96

76.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.99 RON 4.52

35.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.71 RON 3.27

59.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.83 RON 3.81

-33.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.68 RON 26.02

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$6.20 RON 28.42

207.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.04 RON 4.78

71.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.85 RON 8.50

50.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.76 RON 3.48

193.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$23.04 RON 106

-1.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.80 RON 3.66

278.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.74 RON 3.39

37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.64 RON 35.01

-49.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.73 RON 7.94

-13.87%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$29.6K RON 135.8K

-10.32%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$26.6K RON 121.6K

1.80%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$144 RON 658

-28.65%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$6.74 RON 30.88

68.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$8.48 RON 38.87

105.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$40.20 RON 184

29.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$21.31 RON 97.6

-48.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.44 RON 20.36

73.20%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$405 RON 1,855

38.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$9,190 RON 42.1K

25.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$62.4 RON 286

0.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$38.51 RON 176

-23.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$57.4 RON 263

70.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$66.0 RON 302

34.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$400 RON 1,832

84.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$304 RON 1,390

58.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$627 RON 2,871

236.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$468 RON 2,142

162.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,902 RON 8,713

90.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,394 RON 6,387

86.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$547 RON 2,504

-9.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.1

-21.55%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Sighetu Marmatiei: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $400 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sighetu Marmatiei pays 11% 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 $22.00 in Sighetu Marmatiei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $198 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Sighetu Marmatiei. 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 $400 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $405 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.