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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,151 in Turda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,701 in Turda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $2,251 in Turda.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than in Turda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Turda 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$13.10 RON 58.8

-66.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$34.43 RON 155

1.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$9.02 RON 40.50

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.85 RON 12.79

5.26%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.84 RON 8.26

-58.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$1.45 RON 6.50

-67.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.23 RON 10.03

7.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.22 RON 9.99

68.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.59 RON 7.12

14.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.42 RON 6.37

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.52 RON 6.82

1.97%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.98 RON 13.39

-28.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$6.73 RON 30.22

193.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$6.32 RON 28.38

-44.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$11.96 RON 53.7

-7.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.14 RON 5.12

155.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.62 RON 7.30

2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.48 RON 6.65

53.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$2.56 RON 11.49

-17.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$1.03 RON 4.65

42.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$0.98 RON 4.38

43.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.05 RON 4.72

3.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$1.03 RON 4.62

-47.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$6.00 RON 26.95

-25.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$7.66 RON 34.42

144.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.35 RON 6.05

36.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$1.78 RON 8.01

65.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$1.33 RON 5.98

69.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$23.78 RON 107

-2.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.81 RON 3.63

275.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.80 RON 3.59

36.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$6.15 RON 27.62

-37.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.71 RON 7.68

-12.87%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$29.2K RON 131.2K

-6.04%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$25.5K RON 114.6K

7.85%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$170 RON 762

-39.95%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$8.96 RON 40.25

25.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$10.11 RON 45.43

75.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$41.19 RON 185

31.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$19.78 RON 88.9

-44.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$10.00 RON 44.91

-21.50%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$603 RON 2,706

-4.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$6,627 RON 29.8K

75.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$43.77 RON 197

49.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$44.57 RON 200

-35.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$107 RON 479

-7.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$115 RON 517

-21.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$405 RON 1,818

86.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$308 RON 1,384

58.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$637 RON 2,862

227.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$476 RON 2,139

153.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$1,899 RON 8,530

89.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$1,333 RON 5,986

95.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$756 RON 3,396

-33.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.8

-18.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Turda: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $405 in Turda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turda pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Turda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $217 per month, with Turda 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 Turda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turda is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Turda. 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: $756 in Phuket versus $405 in Turda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $603 in Turda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,151 in Turda versus $1,261 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.