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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $980 in Tulcea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,496 in Tulcea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,012 in Tulcea.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than Tulcea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tulcea 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$9.98 RON 43.30

-53.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$42.04 RON 182

10.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$8.04 RON 34.91

7.96%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.67 RON 11.58

10.49%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.99 RON 8.66

-64.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$1.92 RON 8.35

-79.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.33 RON 10.10

8.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.42 RON 14.82

10.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.34 RON 5.82

65.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.05 RON 4.56

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.76 RON 7.64

24.43%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.29 RON 9.94

0.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.65 RON 37.54

123.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$7.21 RON 31.30

-47.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$9.14 RON 39.67

44.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.22 RON 5.31

172.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.42 RON 6.14

16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.29 RON 5.60

77.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.99 RON 8.62

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.80 RON 3.46

91.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.94 RON 4.08

60.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.70 RON 3.02

47.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.87 RON 3.77

-41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$5.65 RON 24.52

-21.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$6.96 RON 30.19

178.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$0.92 RON 3.99

95.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.41 RON 6.13

90.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.71 RON 3.07

101.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$26.81 RON 116

-56.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.72 RON 3.12

322.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.64 RON 2.80

62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$5.60 RON 24.31

144.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.61 RON 6.98

-19.25%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$25.1K RON 108.9K

11.21%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$27.5K RON 119.5K

19.96%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$92.4 RON 401

33.03%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$7.88 RON 34.20

75.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$9.92 RON 43.05

90.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$26.81 RON 116

128.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$19.04 RON 82.6

-11.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$7.03 RON 30.49

26.17%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$434 RON 1,882

60.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$7,053 RON 30.6K

127.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$81.5 RON 354

-27.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$43.18 RON 187

-19.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$73.3 RON 318

54.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$97.6 RON 424

-12.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$387 RON 1,681

58.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$290 RON 1,256

54.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$594 RON 2,576

251.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$437 RON 1,896

242.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,409 RON 6,113

165.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,188 RON 5,157

124.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$678 RON 2,944

-21.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.5

-18.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Tulcea: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $387 in Tulcea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulcea pays 27% 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 $42 in Tulcea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $198 per month, with Tulcea cheaper across the board.

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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tulcea earns 27% 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 $387 in Tulcea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $434 in Tulcea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $980 in Tulcea versus $1,270 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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.