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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,039 in Targu Jiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,627 in Targu Jiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,214 in Targu Jiu.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Targu Jiu 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$13.93 RON 60.5

-66.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$68.5 RON 297

-32.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$8.09 RON 35.10

7.29%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$3.44 RON 14.93

-14.24%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.17 RON 5.07

-40.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$2.29 RON 9.94

-82.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$3.52 RON 15.29

-28.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.85 RON 16.71

-1.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.75 RON 7.58

26.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.43 RON 6.20

25.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.92 RON 8.32

14.06%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$3.08 RON 13.38

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$7.97 RON 34.59

142.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$3.30 RON 14.31

14.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$8.05 RON 34.95

64.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.02 RON 4.43

226.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.64 RON 7.14

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.25 RON 5.41

83.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.37 RON 5.93

45.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.94 RON 4.08

62.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.96 RON 4.17

57.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.70 RON 3.06

47.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.56 RON 2.45

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$5.66 RON 24.55

-22.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$3.24 RON 14.06

499.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$0.94 RON 4.06

91.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.12 RON 4.86

139.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.72 RON 3.11

98.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$19.69 RON 85.4

-40.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.70 RON 3.05

334.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.61 RON 2.64

70.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$7.01 RON 30.42

95.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.67 RON 7.25

-22.16%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$28.8K RON 125.2K

-3.27%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$29.9K RON 129.8K

10.48%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$178 RON 771

-30.76%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$6.41 RON 27.82

115.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$10.25 RON 44.49

84.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$41.67 RON 181

46.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$19.38 RON 84.1

-13.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$9.38 RON 40.71

-5.44%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$670 RON 2,906

4.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$14.5K RON 63.0K

10.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$55.8 RON 242

6.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$27.14 RON 118

28.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$56.8 RON 247

99.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$93.7 RON 407

-9.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$375 RON 1,627

64.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$250 RON 1,084

79.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$527 RON 2,287

295.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$440 RON 1,911

239.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$2,788 RON 12.1K

33.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$565 RON 2,454

-5.65%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Targu Jiu: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $375 in Targu Jiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Targu Jiu pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $68 in Targu Jiu. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $171, 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 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Targu Jiu earns 6% less. 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: $615 in Phuket versus $375 in Targu Jiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $670 in Targu Jiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,039 in Targu Jiu versus $1,270 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.