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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $949 in Zărnești.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,486 in Zărnești.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,022 in Zărnești.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in Zărnești, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Zărnești 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$9.10 RON 41.08

-48.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,057

$44.58 RON 201

-27.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$8.83 RON 39.86

-1.70%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.1

$2.32 RON 10.50

25.00%

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

$0.84 ฿27.69

$1.54 RON 6.95

-45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.05

$1.26 RON 5.68

-61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.5

$2.00 RON 9.04

24.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.45 RON 11.07

52.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿61.9

$1.30 RON 5.85

45.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.21

$1.12 RON 5.08

25.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.2

$1.48 RON 6.69

9.46%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.5

$2.98 RON 13.43

-24.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿651

$8.42 RON 38.02

135.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$4.96 RON 22.41

-29.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿373

$10.64 RON 48.04

6.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.1

$1.01 RON 4.55

187.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.33 RON 6.02

29.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.6

$1.31 RON 5.89

73.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.0

$1.32 RON 5.95

61.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.38

$0.80 RON 3.61

83.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.59

$0.53 RON 2.40

167.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.00

$0.90 RON 4.07

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.62

$0.74 RON 3.34

-18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿141

$5.59 RON 25.23

-22.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿610

$7.82 RON 35.32

137.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.1

$1.09 RON 4.94

65.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.3

$1.36 RON 6.12

118.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.7

$0.73 RON 3.30

208.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿771

$22.44 RON 101

4.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.93 RON 4.20

233.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.31

$0.85 RON 3.84

27.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$7.76 RON 35.03

-50.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.83

$1.51 RON 6.80

-5.30%

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

$27.8K ฿911.7K

$29.5K RON 133.0K

-5.68%

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

$27.0K ฿885.3K

$27.2K RON 122.7K

-0.69%

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

$105 ฿3,438

$106 RON 481

-1.59%

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

$11.39 ฿374

$9.87 RON 44.57

15.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿576

$8.57 RON 38.68

104.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,783

$39.96 RON 180

35.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿375

$21.97 RON 99.2

-47.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿255

$6.72 RON 30.33

15.77%

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

$576 ฿18.9K

$454 RON 2,051

26.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.0K

$8,146 RON 36.8K

42.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,088

$46.24 RON 209

37.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿955

$28.75 RON 130

1.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,157

$70.9 RON 320

35.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,953

$80.8 RON 365

11.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$397 RON 1,792

84.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.4K

$312 RON 1,410

60.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.7K

$651 RON 2,939

226.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.1K

$534 RON 2,411

134.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿115.9K

$1,993 RON 9,000

77.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.0K

$1,386 RON 6,258

89.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$526 RON 2,375

-3.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.47

-25.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $397 in Zărnești. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zărnești pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Zărnești. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $189, with Zărnești 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 Zărnești: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zărnești is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Zărnești. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $397 in Zărnești. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $454 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 $949 in Zărnești versus $1,265 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.