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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $989 in Sighisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,542 in Sighisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,096 in Sighisoara.

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than Sighisoara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sighisoara 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$11.73 RON 53.3

-61.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$40.70 RON 185

14.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$8.07 RON 36.65

4.96%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.27 RON 10.32

33.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$2.28 RON 10.36

-69.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$1.73 RON 7.85

-78.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$2.28 RON 10.33

9.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$2.97 RON 13.47

23.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.58 RON 7.19

37.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$1.30 RON 5.88

46.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.65 RON 7.49

33.33%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$3.29 RON 14.93

-32.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$7.92 RON 35.93

152.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$7.14 RON 32.43

-48.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$7.85 RON 35.61

68.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.12 RON 5.07

188.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.78 RON 8.07

-4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$1.63 RON 7.42

46.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.32 RON 10.53

-10.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$0.79 RON 3.58

101.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$0.91 RON 4.12

62.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$1.08 RON 4.88

-4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.88 RON 4.00

-40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$5.84 RON 26.49

-27.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$7.74 RON 35.13

142.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.13 RON 5.12

55.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.99 RON 9.02

38.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.70 RON 3.19

94.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$20.03 RON 90.9

-43.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$1.00 RON 4.53

214.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.80 RON 3.62

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$9.55 RON 43.34

44.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$1.64 RON 7.45

-18.29%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$28.5K RON 129.3K

-2.80%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$26.4K RON 119.7K

28.44%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$66.4 RON 301

86.16%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$9.01 RON 40.92

50.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$9.03 RON 40.99

106.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$41.21 RON 187

50.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$19.34 RON 87.8

-10.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$7.83 RON 35.55

16.73%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$479 RON 2,173

46.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$10.6K RON 48.0K

50.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$68.9 RON 313

-13.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$39.65 RON 180

-11.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$86.4 RON 392

33.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$98.7 RON 448

-14.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$390 RON 1,769

58.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$292 RON 1,327

47.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$594 RON 2,698

246.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$436 RON 1,978

246.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$1,908 RON 8,661

91.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$1,365 RON 6,196

92.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$625 RON 2,837

-18.89%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sighisoara: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $390 in Sighisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sighisoara pays 23% 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 $41.00 in Sighisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $210 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sighisoara earns 23% 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 $390 in Sighisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $479 in Sighisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $989 in Sighisoara versus $1,261 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 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.