Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Turda Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Turda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,064 in Turda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,626 in Turda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,189 in Turda.

Living in Phuket is roughly 15% more expensive than Turda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Turda 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$9.33 RON 42.03

-51.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$52.6 RON 237

-11.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$7.99 RON 36.01

6.26%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.97 RON 13.39

3.70%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.93 RON 8.69

-64.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.74 RON 7.86

-79.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.35 RON 10.60

3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.74 RON 12.36

32.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.55 RON 6.96

41.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.24 RON 5.59

45.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.63 RON 7.33

36.81%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$3.11 RON 14.02

-27.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$9.53 RON 42.92

105.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$6.95 RON 31.29

-46.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$11.71 RON 52.7

15.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.12 RON 5.04

200.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.60 RON 7.20

1.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.57 RON 7.05

53.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.61 RON 7.27

23.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.96 RON 4.35

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.91 RON 4.10

59.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.04 RON 4.69

-2.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.95 RON 4.28

-49.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$6.27 RON 28.25

-31.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$7.73 RON 34.82

147.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.12 RON 5.05

64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.82 RON 8.19

50.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$1.35 RON 6.09

5.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$20.19 RON 90.9

-41.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.82 RON 3.71

265.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.71 RON 3.20

47.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$8.30 RON 37.39

67.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.66 RON 7.45

-22.29%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$28.3K RON 127.3K

-0.81%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$27.0K RON 121.7K

23.95%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$157 RON 705

-22.10%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$8.88 RON 40.01

56.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$8.55 RON 38.51

120.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$40.88 RON 184

49.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$21.12 RON 95.1

-20.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$6.81 RON 30.69

30.54%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$482 RON 2,169

43.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$7,760 RON 34.9K

108.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$68.0 RON 306

-14.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$40.95 RON 184

-13.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$85.7 RON 386

32.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$99.9 RON 450

-16.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$382 RON 1,719

58.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$289 RON 1,304

54.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$581 RON 2,617

249.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$444 RON 1,998

236.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,905 RON 8,582

88.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,349 RON 6,076

91.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$787 RON 3,545

-35.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.85

-8.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Turda: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $382 in Turda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turda pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $53.0 in Turda. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $220, with Turda 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 Turda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turda is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Turda earns 56% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $382 in Turda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $482 in Turda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,064 in Turda versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Turda but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Turda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Turda 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 Turda 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 Turda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.