Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Targoviste

For one person, living is cheaper in Targoviste: $958 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Targoviste
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Targoviste Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Targoviste

🇷🇴 Romania

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Targoviste

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 Targoviste actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $958 in Targoviste.

Phuket $1,278
Targoviste $958

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,376 in Targoviste.

Phuket $2,216
Targoviste $1,376

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,793 in Targoviste.

Phuket $3,154
Targoviste $1,793

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in Targoviste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Targoviste 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$7.17 RON 34.14

-37.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$25.39 RON 121

27.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.37 RON 30.37

38.30%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.09 RON 9.93

35.41%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$1.35 RON 6.43

-35.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.30 RON 6.21

-62.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.06 RON 9.82

24.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.71 RON 12.89

35.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.32 RON 6.30

25.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$0.87 RON 4.15

67.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.36 RON 6.49

10.29%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.54 RON 12.12

-17.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$3.21 RON 15.31

494.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.34 RON 30.21

-47.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.20 RON 53.4

-2.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$1.03 RON 4.93

184.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.51 RON 7.19

11.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.47 RON 7.01

53.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.83 RON 8.72

13.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.83 RON 3.95

81.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$0.92 RON 4.37

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$0.75 RON 3.59

42.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$0.76 RON 3.60

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.86 RON 27.91

-28.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.43 RON 25.88

246.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.15 RON 5.47

58.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.47 RON 7.03

93.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.44 RON 2.10

229.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$21.70 RON 103

161.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.77 RON 3.67

292.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$0.61 RON 2.89

67.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$6.34 RON 30.20

-41.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.60 RON 7.63

-8.13%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$28.9K RON 137.9K

-7.48%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$25.3K RON 120.6K

5.46%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$218 RON 1,038

-55.76%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$7.21 RON 34.37

56.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$8.23 RON 39.20

104.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$21.14 RON 101

218.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$19.95 RON 95.1

-46.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.19 RON 15.21

135.11%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$312 RON 1,485

52.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$8,239 RON 39.3K

36.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$63.4 RON 302

-1.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$31.01 RON 148

-8.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$53.7 RON 256

75.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$74.4 RON 354

15.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$355 RON 1,691

101.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$265 RON 1,262

85.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$453 RON 2,157

325.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$401 RON 1,910

256.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$1,877 RON 8,943

122.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,353 RON 6,446

125.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$867 RON 4,130

-42.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.84

-18.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Targoviste: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Targoviste

$265 27.6% 46.1% $226

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Targoviste

$178 18.5% 33.3% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Targoviste

$233 24.3% 87.4% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Targoviste

$100 10.4% 17.9% $22

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Targoviste

$128 13.3% 5% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Targoviste

$28 2.9% 66.5% $55

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Targoviste

$27 2.9% 61.4% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $355 in Targoviste. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Targoviste pays 73% 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 $25 in Targoviste for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $178 per month, with Targoviste cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇴 Targoviste

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

21:06 9:06 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

79,610

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.188 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Targoviste 8,050 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Targoviste

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 Targoviste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targoviste is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. 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 $355 in Targoviste. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $312 in Targoviste. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $958 in Targoviste versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Targoviste but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Targoviste the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Targoviste are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Targoviste gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.