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 $983 in Sighisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,516 in Sighisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,049 in Sighisoara.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$11.74 RON 53.8

-61.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$39.89 RON 183

16.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$7.95 RON 36.46

8.81%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$2.32 RON 10.64

33.19%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$2.36 RON 10.82

-71.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$1.75 RON 8.04

-78.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$2.27 RON 10.43

6.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$3.01 RON 13.82

26.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.65 RON 7.56

32.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$1.30 RON 5.96

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$1.65 RON 7.56

32.12%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$3.38 RON 15.48

-33.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$8.26 RON 37.88

141.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$7.24 RON 33.20

-49.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$8.02 RON 36.76

69.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$1.17 RON 5.35

181.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.70 RON 7.80

-0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$1.58 RON 7.23

47.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$2.40 RON 11.01

-15.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.78 RON 3.58

105.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$0.93 RON 4.25

60.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$1.08 RON 4.94

-6.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.95 RON 4.37

-49.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$5.80 RON 26.61

-23.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$7.50 RON 34.40

148.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$1.11 RON 5.07

61.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$2.05 RON 9.42

36.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$0.66 RON 3.03

115.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$19.83 RON 90.9

-42.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$1.01 RON 4.63

205.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$0.82 RON 3.74

26.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$9.57 RON 43.89

42.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$1.68 RON 7.71

-22.02%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$27.5K RON 126.0K

-0.77%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.9K RON 123.5K

23.36%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$66.2 RON 304

86.07%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$8.73 RON 40.04

58.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$9.12 RON 41.81

103.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$41.58 RON 191

45.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$19.24 RON 88.2

-12.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$8.10 RON 37.16

9.75%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$486 RON 2,230

41.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$10.7K RON 48.8K

46.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$69.7 RON 320

-17.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$40.18 RON 184

-13.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$83.7 RON 384

37.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$101 RON 465

-16.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$382 RON 1,752

61.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$295 RON 1,353

50.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$585 RON 2,685

249.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$438 RON 2,008

243.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$1,934 RON 8,870

84.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$1,416 RON 6,490

77.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$618 RON 2,834

-18.68%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Sighisoara: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $382 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Sighisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $214 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% 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: $618 in Phuket versus $382 in Sighisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 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 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $983 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.