Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sighisoara Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sighisoara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $980 in Sighisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,515 in Sighisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,050 in Sighisoara.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than Sighisoara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Sighisoara 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$11.53 RON 50.1

-59.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$39.73 RON 172

16.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$8.00 RON 34.71

8.50%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.28 RON 9.89

29.39%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$2.26 RON 9.82

-69.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$1.68 RON 7.27

-76.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.26 RON 9.83

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.97 RON 12.87

27.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.57 RON 6.82

41.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.31 RON 5.67

37.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.57 RON 6.80

39.49%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$3.29 RON 14.30

-29.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.26 RON 35.84

134.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$7.06 RON 30.65

-46.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$7.96 RON 34.55

66.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.16 RON 5.03

187.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.79 RON 7.75

-7.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.59 RON 6.88

44.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.39 RON 10.37

-16.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.80 RON 3.46

91.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.98 RON 4.26

54.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.05 RON 4.54

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.95 RON 4.10

-46.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$5.61 RON 24.34

-21.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$7.63 RON 33.10

154.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.11 RON 4.84

62.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.98 RON 8.57

35.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.71 RON 3.08

101.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$19.82 RON 86.0

-40.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.94 RON 4.06

223.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.80 RON 3.46

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$9.06 RON 39.33

50.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.68 RON 7.30

-22.62%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$27.6K RON 119.9K

0.99%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$26.9K RON 116.7K

22.86%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$65.2 RON 283

88.63%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$9.20 RON 39.92

50.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$9.00 RON 39.08

109.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$41.54 RON 180

47.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$19.11 RON 82.9

-12.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$7.99 RON 34.66

11.01%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$486 RON 2,109

43.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$10.8K RON 46.7K

49.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$69.6 RON 302

-14.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$39.60 RON 172

-11.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$84.9 RON 368

33.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$100 RON 434

-15.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$388 RON 1,683

58.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$289 RON 1,255

55.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$578 RON 2,508

260.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$445 RON 1,933

235.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,819 RON 7,894

105.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,405 RON 6,097

89.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$645 RON 2,798

-17.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.85

-8.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Sighisoara: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $388 in Sighisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sighisoara pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $40 in Sighisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $212 per month, with Sighisoara 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 Sighisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sighisoara is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sighisoara earns 21% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $388 in Sighisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $486 in Sighisoara. 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 $980 in Sighisoara versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sighisoara but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sighisoara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sighisoara 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 Sighisoara 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 Sighisoara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.