Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Slatina

For one person, living is cheaper in Slatina: $799 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Slatina
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Slatina Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Slatina

🇷🇴 Romania

$799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Slatina

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Slatina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $799 in Slatina.

Phuket $1,278
Slatina $799

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,251 in Slatina.

Phuket $2,216
Slatina $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,704 in Slatina.

Phuket $3,154
Slatina $1,704

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than in Slatina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Slatina 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$11.16 RON 53.3

-59.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$31.03 RON 148

4.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.51 RON 35.87

17.31%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.60 RON 12.43

8.85%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.09 RON 10.01

-58.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.72 RON 8.21

-71.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.66 RON 7.95

54.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.13 RON 10.16

72.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.44 RON 6.87

15.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.86 RON 4.12

69.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.71 RON 8.17

-12.28%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.60 RON 12.42

-19.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.70 RON 41.55

119.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.91 RON 18.67

-15.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$5.99 RON 28.64

82.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$0.80 RON 3.83

266.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.43 RON 6.85

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.60 RON 7.65

40.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.17 RON 5.60

77.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.83 RON 3.95

81.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.82 RON 3.94

68.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.91 RON 4.36

17.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.66 RON 3.16

-21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.18 RON 24.74

-18.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$3.22 RON 15.39

483.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.19 RON 5.70

52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.80 RON 8.61

57.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.75 RON 3.59

93.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$21.64 RON 103

161.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.68 RON 3.26

344.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.62 RON 2.97

64.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$6.60 RON 31.52

-44.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.38 RON 6.59

6.52%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$29.0K RON 138.4K

-7.56%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$24.9K RON 119.0K

7.14%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$106 RON 506

-9.06%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$1.67 RON 7.97

574.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$9.41 RON 44.96

79.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$37.64 RON 180

78.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$20.63 RON 98.6

-47.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$9.38 RON 44.84

-20.04%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$441 RON 2,109

7.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$6,983 RON 33.4K

61.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$51.4 RON 246

21.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$31.52 RON 151

-9.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$67.8 RON 324

39.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$72.2 RON 345

18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$213 RON 1,016

236.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$165 RON 791

196.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$353 RON 1,686

446.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$296 RON 1,414

383.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,890 RON 9,031

120.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,321 RON 6,311

130.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$859 RON 4,106

-41.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.07

-21.22%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Slatina: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Slatina

$165 20.7% 66.3% $325

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Slatina

$160 20.1% 39.7% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Slatina

$117 14.7% 6% $7.4

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Slatina

$100 12.6% 17.7% $22

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Slatina

$171 21.4% 40.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Slatina

$56 7.1% 31.4% $26

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Slatina

$28 3.6% 59.7% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $213 in Slatina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Slatina pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $31 in Slatina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $160 per month, with Slatina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇴 Slatina

🕒 Local time

10:01 10:01 AM

05:01 5:01 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

70,293

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Slatina 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Slatina

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Slatina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Slatina is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $213 in Slatina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $441 in Slatina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Slatina are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Slatina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.