Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zărnești Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zărnești

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,021 in Zărnești.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,533 in Zărnești.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,045 in Zărnești.

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than Zărnești, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Zărnești 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$8.74 RON 37.95

-46.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$39.98 RON 174

16.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$9.04 RON 39.23

-3.98%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.20 RON 9.56

34.09%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.32 RON 5.73

-46.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$1.14 RON 4.95

-65.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.22 RON 9.65

13.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.74 RON 11.91

37.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.40 RON 6.08

58.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.12 RON 4.84

60.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.65 RON 7.14

32.73%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$3.05 RON 13.25

-24.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.58 RON 37.25

125.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$5.21 RON 22.61

-27.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$12.67 RON 55.0

4.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.03 RON 4.46

223.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.37 RON 5.94

20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.35 RON 5.86

69.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.42 RON 6.14

40.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.96 RON 4.17

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.91 RON 3.97

65.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.78 RON 3.41

32.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.74 RON 3.23

-31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$5.66 RON 24.57

-22.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$7.87 RON 34.18

146.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.03 RON 4.46

74.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.35 RON 5.84

98.52%

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

$19.64 RON 85.2

-40.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.96 RON 4.16

216.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.89 RON 3.85

16.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$7.40 RON 32.14

84.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.53 RON 6.66

-15.03%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$28.3K RON 122.7K

-1.29%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$28.5K RON 123.7K

15.90%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$173 RON 752

-29.00%

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

$10.12 RON 43.91

86.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$40.98 RON 178

49.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$19.46 RON 84.4

-13.62%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$5.60 RON 24.29

58.39%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$424 RON 1,841

64.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$6,918 RON 30.0K

132.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$49.26 RON 214

20.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$29.56 RON 128

17.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$73.0 RON 317

55.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$82.0 RON 356

3.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$395 RON 1,716

55.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$295 RON 1,278

52.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$589 RON 2,554

254.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$446 RON 1,935

235.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,558 RON 6,762

139.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,409 RON 6,115

88.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$545 RON 2,364

-2.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.17

-34.76%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $395 in Zărnești. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zărnești pays 2% 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 $40 in Zărnești for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $200 per month, with Zărnești 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 Zărnești: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zărnești is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zărnești earns 2% 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 $395 in Zărnești. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $424 in Zărnești. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,021 in Zărnești versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zărnești but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zărnești the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zărnești 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 Zărnești 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 Zărnești gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.