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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $993 in Targu Mures.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,532 in Targu Mures.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,071 in Targu Mures.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than in Targu Mures, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Targu Mures 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$9.12 RON 41.16

-48.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,057

$45.14 RON 204

-28.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$8.66 RON 39.09

0.23%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.1

$2.40 RON 10.83

20.83%

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

$0.84 ฿27.69

$1.58 RON 7.15

-46.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.05

$1.29 RON 5.83

-62.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.5

$1.95 RON 8.81

27.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.49 RON 11.24

49.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿61.9

$1.42 RON 6.41

33.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.21

$1.12 RON 5.04

25.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.2

$1.53 RON 6.93

5.88%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.5

$2.99 RON 13.49

-25.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿651

$8.50 RON 38.36

133.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$6.24 RON 28.18

-44.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿373

$10.62 RON 47.96

7.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.1

$1.03 RON 4.65

181.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.34 RON 6.03

28.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.6

$1.46 RON 6.61

55.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.0

$1.90 RON 8.57

12.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.38

$0.76 RON 3.42

93.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.59

$0.56 RON 2.54

153.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.00

$0.86 RON 3.89

27.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.62

$0.75 RON 3.39

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿141

$6.22 RON 28.10

-30.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿610

$7.95 RON 35.88

133.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.1

$1.12 RON 5.06

60.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.3

$1.64 RON 7.42

81.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.7

$0.64 RON 2.88

251.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿771

$27.06 RON 122

-13.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.90 RON 4.07

244.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.31

$0.91 RON 4.10

18.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$8.08 RON 36.46

-52.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.83

$1.87 RON 8.43

-23.53%

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

$27.8K ฿911.7K

$29.8K RON 134.6K

-6.78%

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

$27.0K ฿885.3K

$26.6K RON 120.2K

1.38%

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

$105 ฿3,438

$106 RON 477

-0.87%

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

$11.39 ฿374

$9.81 RON 44.29

16.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿576

$8.36 RON 37.73

109.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,783

$43.43 RON 196

25.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿375

$19.34 RON 87.3

-40.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿255

$6.76 RON 30.53

15.09%

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

$576 ฿18.9K

$1,374 RON 6,203

-58.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,088

$56.3 RON 254

13.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿955

$31.54 RON 142

-7.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,157

$80.9 RON 365

18.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,953

$81.7 RON 369

10.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$444 RON 2,004

65.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.4K

$307 RON 1,386

63.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.7K

$667 RON 3,010

218.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.1K

$505 RON 2,281

147.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿115.9K

$2,388 RON 10.8K

48.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.0K

$1,511 RON 6,820

73.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$1,042 RON 4,704

-51.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.47

-25.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Targu Mures: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $444 in Targu Mures. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Targu Mures pays 105% 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 $45.00 in Targu Mures. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $201, with Targu Mures 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 Mures: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Mures is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 105% lower in Targu Mures. 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 $444 in Targu Mures. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $1,374 in Targu Mures. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $993 in Targu Mures versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Mures but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Mures the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Targu Mures 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 Mures 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 Mures gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.