Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tulcea Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tulcea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,040 in Tulcea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,669 in Tulcea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,297 in Tulcea.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$12.39 RON 55.9

-62.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,059

$48.71 RON 220

-33.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$8.13 RON 36.70

6.77%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.3

$2.27 RON 10.25

27.75%

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

$0.84 ฿27.75

$2.19 RON 9.90

-61.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$1.13 RON 5.11

-56.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.6

$2.27 RON 10.26

9.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.25 RON 10.18

65.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$1.71 RON 7.71

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.31

$1.09 RON 4.94

29.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.3

$1.57 RON 7.08

3.18%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.7

$3.27 RON 14.78

-31.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿652

$8.32 RON 37.57

138.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$6.96 RON 31.43

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

$9.72 RON 43.90

16.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.3

$1.36 RON 6.14

113.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.7

$1.76 RON 7.94

-2.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.7

$1.50 RON 6.78

51.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.1

$2.03 RON 9.18

4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.49

$0.80 RON 3.63

83.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.69

$0.76 RON 3.42

86.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.08

$0.71 RON 3.21

54.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.66

$0.80 RON 3.62

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$6.71 RON 30.30

-35.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$6.78 RON 30.60

174.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.2

$1.04 RON 4.70

73.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.5

$1.53 RON 6.90

94.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.8

$1.14 RON 5.14

97.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿772

$19.21 RON 86.8

22.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.64 RON 2.87

384.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.39

$0.67 RON 3.03

61.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$6.45 RON 29.13

-40.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.93

$1.78 RON 8.04

-19.66%

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

$27.8K ฿913.6K

$29.1K RON 131.3K

-4.43%

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

$27.0K ฿887.2K

$26.1K RON 118.0K

3.25%

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

$105 ฿3,446

$139 RON 626

-24.44%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$8.66 RON 39.11

31.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$8.86 RON 40.00

97.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,787

$32.59 RON 147

66.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿376

$17.46 RON 78.9

-34.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$8.83 RON 39.86

-11.89%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$329 RON 1,488

74.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.8K

$3,336 RON 15.1K

247.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,092

$54.9 RON 248

15.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿957

$32.70 RON 148

-11.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,164

$98.0 RON 443

-1.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,960

$100.0 RON 452

-9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$370 RON 1,672

98.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$296 RON 1,338

69.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.9K

$636 RON 2,874

234.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$534 RON 2,410

134.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.2K

$1,053 RON 4,755

235.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.2K

$938 RON 4,237

179.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$669 RON 3,023

-24.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.85

-18.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tulcea: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $370 in Tulcea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulcea pays 32% 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 $49.00 in Tulcea. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $208, with Tulcea 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 Tulcea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulcea is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, 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 32% lower in Tulcea. 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 $370 in Tulcea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $329 in Tulcea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,040 in Tulcea versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tulcea but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tulcea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tulcea 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 Tulcea 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 Tulcea 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.