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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $958 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,421 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,884 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than Sighetu Marmatiei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sighetu Marmatiei 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$7.05 RON 31.91

-35.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$23.33 RON 106

99.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.61 RON 29.91

28.14%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.92 RON 8.70

57.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.08 RON 9.42

-66.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.59 RON 7.21

-76.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.05 RON 9.25

21.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.06 RON 13.85

19.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.19 RON 5.38

83.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.19 RON 5.38

59.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.87 RON 8.47

17.65%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.82 RON 12.76

-21.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.74 RON 39.54

128.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.10 RON 32.13

-48.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$11.41 RON 51.6

16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$0.96 RON 4.35

236.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.57 RON 7.09

8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.51 RON 6.82

58.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.88 RON 8.51

10.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.78 RON 3.51

103.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.10 RON 4.96

34.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.01 RON 4.56

1.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.64 RON 2.92

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.45 RON 24.63

-22.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.90 RON 26.68

218.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.00 RON 4.52

76.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.53 RON 6.92

80.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.72 RON 3.27

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$20.13 RON 91.1

-43.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.14 RON 5.15

175.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.75 RON 3.37

38.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.77 RON 30.62

103.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.56 RON 7.05

-14.10%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$28.2K RON 127.5K

-1.79%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$25.7K RON 116.2K

31.87%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$161 RON 727

-23.13%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$7.87 RON 35.61

71.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$9.80 RON 44.34

90.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$41.00 RON 185

50.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$18.89 RON 85.5

-8.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.51 RON 20.39

102.66%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$307 RON 1,390

128.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$9,682 RON 43.8K

63.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$37.40 RON 169

58.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$30.25 RON 137

15.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$73.1 RON 331

57.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$71.6 RON 324

17.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$384 RON 1,737

61.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$293 RON 1,327

47.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$580 RON 2,622

255.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$430 RON 1,946

251.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,909 RON 8,636

90.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,293 RON 5,848

103.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$542 RON 2,453

-6.50%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sighetu Marmatiei: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $384 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sighetu Marmatiei pays 7% 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 $293 vs $204 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 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sighetu Marmatiei earns 7% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $384 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $307 in Sighetu Marmatiei. 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 $958 in Sighetu Marmatiei versus $1,261 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 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.