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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,054 in Turda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,632 in Turda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,209 in Turda.

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than Turda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Turda 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$9.06 RON 39.52

-48.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$51.6 RON 225

-9.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.18 RON 35.68

8.07%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.97 RON 12.93

1.01%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.92 RON 8.38

-61.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.77 RON 7.72

-79.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.32 RON 10.13

5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.79 RON 12.14

29.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.55 RON 6.76

45.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.26 RON 5.52

46.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.59 RON 6.93

40.88%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.20 RON 13.96

-27.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.36 RON 40.82

110.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.93 RON 30.20

-47.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.81 RON 51.5

10.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.16 RON 5.07

192.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.57 RON 6.87

4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.64 RON 7.16

46.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.67 RON 7.29

21.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.02 RON 4.44

52.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.98 RON 4.26

53.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.00 RON 4.37

2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.94 RON 4.12

-47.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.01 RON 26.20

-25.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.78 RON 33.92

142.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.12 RON 4.87

58.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.82 RON 7.94

51.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.36 RON 5.94

2.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$19.45 RON 84.8

-40.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.77 RON 3.36

305.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.75 RON 3.27

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$7.89 RON 34.38

78.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.66 RON 7.23

-18.67%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$27.6K RON 120.3K

-1.50%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.0K RON 117.9K

21.77%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$161 RON 704

-22.57%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$8.84 RON 38.54

53.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$8.33 RON 36.30

122.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$40.81 RON 178

50.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$20.60 RON 89.8

-18.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.72 RON 29.32

36.76%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$481 RON 2,097

45.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,726 RON 33.7K

101.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$68.2 RON 298

-15.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$40.05 RON 175

-12.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$86.0 RON 375

31.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$99.0 RON 432

-12.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$392 RON 1,708

57.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$294 RON 1,281

51.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$582 RON 2,538

251.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$440 RON 1,919

239.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,945 RON 8,478

94.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,323 RON 5,767

100.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$805 RON 3,508

-34.90%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Turda: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $392 in Turda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turda pays 54% 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 $52.0 in Turda. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $221, 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 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Turda earns 54% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $392 in Turda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $481 in Turda. 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 $1,054 in Turda versus $1,232 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 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.