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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $989 in Tulcea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,510 in Tulcea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,032 in Tulcea.

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than in Tulcea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tulcea 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$9.82 RON 45.04

-53.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$43.08 RON 198

7.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$7.66 RON 35.14

12.92%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$2.71 RON 12.41

14.02%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$1.90 RON 8.73

-64.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$1.93 RON 8.85

-80.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$2.26 RON 10.36

7.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$3.54 RON 16.24

7.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.35 RON 6.20

61.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$1.04 RON 4.79

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$1.75 RON 8.03

24.57%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$2.37 RON 10.87

-5.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$8.51 RON 39.03

134.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$7.10 RON 32.54

-48.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$8.92 RON 40.91

52.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$1.21 RON 5.53

171.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.42 RON 6.50

19.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$1.29 RON 5.93

80.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$1.92 RON 8.79

5.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.76 RON 3.50

110.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$0.93 RON 4.27

60.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$0.75 RON 3.42

34.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.86 RON 3.96

-44.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$5.73 RON 26.29

-22.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$6.91 RON 31.66

169.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$0.90 RON 4.14

98.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$1.37 RON 6.28

104.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$0.70 RON 3.22

102.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$27.46 RON 126

-58.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$0.72 RON 3.32

329.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$0.61 RON 2.79

70.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$5.64 RON 25.88

141.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$1.55 RON 7.12

-15.48%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$25.4K RON 116.3K

7.52%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.5K RON 126.1K

20.75%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$93.4 RON 428

31.85%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$7.81 RON 35.80

76.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$10.17 RON 46.63

82.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$26.06 RON 119

131.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$19.54 RON 89.6

-14.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$6.84 RON 31.38

29.97%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$434 RON 1,991

58.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$6,793 RON 31.1K

128.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$83.3 RON 382

-30.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$42.93 RON 197

-19.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$73.4 RON 336

56.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$98.2 RON 450

-13.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$384 RON 1,762

60.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$295 RON 1,353

50.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$577 RON 2,645

254.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$436 RON 1,998

245.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$1,299 RON 5,955

174.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$1,130 RON 5,180

122.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$641 RON 2,937

-21.52%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Tulcea: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $384 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Tulcea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $196 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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: $618 in Phuket versus $384 in Tulcea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 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 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $989 in Tulcea versus $1,261 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 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.