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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $994 in Sighisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,604 in Sighisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,214 in Sighisoara.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$11.16 RON 50.4

-58.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,057

$39.19 RON 177

-17.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$8.63 RON 38.97

0.58%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.1

$2.27 RON 10.27

27.75%

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

$0.84 ฿27.69

$2.16 RON 9.73

-61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.05

$2.49 RON 11.24

-80.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.5

$2.23 RON 10.05

11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.84 RON 12.84

31.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿61.9

$1.52 RON 6.88

24.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.21

$1.29 RON 5.81

9.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.2

$1.57 RON 7.10

3.18%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.5

$3.53 RON 15.92

-36.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿651

$7.78 RON 35.13

155.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$7.64 RON 34.48

-54.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿373

$7.69 RON 34.70

47.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.1

$1.13 RON 5.08

156.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.78 RON 8.05

-3.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.6

$1.84 RON 8.31

23.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.0

$2.52 RON 11.37

-15.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.38

$0.80 RON 3.61

83.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.59

$1.04 RON 4.69

36.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.00

$1.01 RON 4.54

8.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.62

$1.08 RON 4.86

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿141

$5.48 RON 24.73

-21.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿610

$7.55 RON 34.10

146.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.1

$1.28 RON 5.80

40.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.3

$1.86 RON 8.38

59.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.7

$0.64 RON 2.88

251.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿771

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.91 RON 4.12

240.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.31

$1.02 RON 4.61

5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$9.04 RON 40.80

-57.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.83

$1.74 RON 7.87

-17.82%

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

$27.8K ฿911.7K

$29.9K RON 135.2K

-7.21%

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

$27.0K ฿885.3K

$25.8K RON 116.3K

4.75%

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

$105 ฿3,438

$63.4 RON 286

65.30%

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

$11.39 ฿374

$8.73 RON 39.40

30.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿576

$8.77 RON 39.58

100.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,783

$55.5 RON 250

-2.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿375

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿255

$10.15 RON 45.83

-23.35%

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

$576 ฿18.9K

$616 RON 2,781

-6.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.0K

$10.0K RON 45.3K

15.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,088

$94.9 RON 429

-32.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿955

$49.35 RON 223

-41.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,157

$107 RON 484

-10.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,953

$114 RON 514

-20.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$339 RON 1,529

116.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.4K

$269 RON 1,216

85.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.7K

$564 RON 2,547

276.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.1K

$510 RON 2,303

145.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿115.9K

$1,677 RON 7,570

110.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.0K

$1,128 RON 5,090

132.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$616 RON 2,782

-17.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.8

-18.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sighisoara: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $339 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Sighisoara. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $216, with Sighisoara cheaper for home cooking.

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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Sighisoara. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $339 in Sighisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $616 in Sighisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sighisoara – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $994 in Sighisoara versus $1,265 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.