Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Targu Jiu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Targu Jiu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,036 in Targu Jiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,614 in Targu Jiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,192 in Targu Jiu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than in Targu Jiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Targu Jiu 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$14.26 RON 64.6

-67.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$61.6 RON 279

-47.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.54 RON 34.15

15.12%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.58 RON 16.23

-18.99%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.13 RON 5.12

-25.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$2.36 RON 10.70

-79.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.87 RON 17.53

-35.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$4.55 RON 20.61

-18.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.80 RON 8.13

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.42 RON 6.41

-0.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.72 RON 7.80

-5.81%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.88 RON 13.02

-22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$7.96 RON 36.06

149.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$3.06 RON 13.88

13.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.58 RON 34.33

50.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$0.99 RON 4.47

192.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.59 RON 7.20

8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.21 RON 5.48

87.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.30 RON 5.90

63.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.82 RON 3.71

79.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.76 RON 3.43

86.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.68 RON 3.09

61.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.54 RON 2.43

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$5.44 RON 24.65

-20.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$3.09 RON 13.98

501.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.86 RON 3.89

109.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.12 RON 5.09

165.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.82 RON 3.70

174.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$20.14 RON 91.2

16.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.67 RON 3.04

362.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.69 RON 3.13

56.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$6.70 RON 30.34

-42.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.58 RON 7.14

-9.49%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$30.1K RON 136.5K

-7.79%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$28.4K RON 128.4K

-4.83%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$201 RON 909

-47.78%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$6.28 RON 28.43

81.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$9.92 RON 44.92

76.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$39.76 RON 180

36.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$19.70 RON 89.2

-41.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$8.83 RON 39.98

-11.89%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$648 RON 2,934

-11.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$7,186 RON 32.5K

61.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$53.4 RON 242

19.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$26.35 RON 119

10.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$54.3 RON 246

77.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$87.3 RON 395

3.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$360 RON 1,630

103.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$250 RON 1,131

100.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$500 RON 2,267

324.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$417 RON 1,888

200.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,916 RON 8,679

84.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,268 RON 5,741

106.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$555 RON 2,515

-8.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.82

-18.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Targu Jiu: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $360 in Targu Jiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Targu Jiu pays 9% 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 $62.0 in Targu Jiu. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $164, with Targu Jiu 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 Targu Jiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Jiu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Targu Jiu. 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 $360 in Targu Jiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $648 in Targu Jiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,036 in Targu Jiu versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Jiu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Jiu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Targu Jiu 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 Targu Jiu 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 Targu Jiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.