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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,013 in Targu Jiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,622 in Targu Jiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,231 in Targu Jiu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than in Targu Jiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Targu Jiu 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿152

$13.84 RON 63.4

-67.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,558

$67.8 RON 310

-31.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$8.12 RON 37.19

6.53%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.32 RON 15.18

-6.93%

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

$0.68 ฿22.79

$1.13 RON 5.15

-39.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.38

$2.40 RON 11.00

-84.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.2

$3.35 RON 15.33

-27.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$3.96 RON 18.15

-3.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.2

$1.77 RON 8.11

23.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.1

$1.42 RON 6.50

28.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.2

$1.85 RON 8.48

17.84%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.1

$3.02 RON 13.83

-25.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿670

$7.97 RON 36.47

150.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿122

$3.16 RON 14.46

15.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿456

$7.69 RON 35.20

76.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$1.02 RON 4.68

222.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$1.57 RON 7.21

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.4

$1.30 RON 5.97

79.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.40 RON 6.42

45.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$0.90 RON 4.14

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$0.98 RON 4.48

52.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.02

$0.66 RON 3.02

53.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.02

$0.60 RON 2.74

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$5.66 RON 25.92

-21.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿626

$3.12 RON 14.30

497.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.0

$0.96 RON 4.39

86.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.0

$1.17 RON 5.34

139.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.69

$0.70 RON 3.21

102.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿381

$19.96 RON 91.4

-43.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$0.67 RON 3.07

361.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.03

$0.61 RON 2.77

70.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿458

$6.73 RON 30.83

102.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.03

$1.69 RON 7.73

-22.49%

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

$27.3K ฿916.6K

$29.2K RON 133.6K

-6.53%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$30.7K RON 140.6K

8.19%

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

$123 ฿4,138

$178 RON 814

-30.72%

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

$13.81 ฿464

$6.63 RON 30.35

108.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿622

$10.21 RON 46.75

81.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,028

$40.73 RON 187

48.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿564

$19.42 RON 88.9

-13.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$9.23 RON 42.25

-3.68%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$657 RON 3,009

4.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿522.5K

$14.8K RON 67.6K

5.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,936

$54.2 RON 248

6.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,165

$28.00 RON 128

23.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,861

$57.3 RON 262

100.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,853

$93.9 RON 430

-9.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.7K

$376 RON 1,721

64.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$255 RON 1,167

73.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿68.8K

$521 RON 2,385

292.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.6K

$432 RON 1,980

248.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿119.9K

$2,646 RON 12.1K

34.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$554 RON 2,535

-9.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.1

-24.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Targu Jiu: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $376 in Targu Jiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Targu Jiu pays 10% 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 $68.0 in Targu Jiu. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $169, 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% 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: $618 in Phuket versus $376 in Targu Jiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $657 in Targu Jiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Targu Jiu versus $1,261 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 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.