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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,006 in Zărnești.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,518 in Zărnești.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,029 in Zărnești.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than Zărnești, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zărnești 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$8.44 RON 38.30

-45.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$39.89 RON 181

16.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$8.79 RON 39.88

-3.64%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.28 RON 10.36

32.89%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$1.26 RON 5.70

-45.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$1.12 RON 5.08

-66.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$2.23 RON 10.12

11.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$2.79 RON 12.65

31.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.40 RON 6.36

55.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$1.18 RON 5.36

61.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.58 RON 7.17

39.24%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$3.07 RON 13.94

-27.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$8.74 RON 39.67

128.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$4.98 RON 22.63

-26.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$12.49 RON 56.7

6.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$0.99 RON 4.49

226.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.37 RON 6.21

24.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$1.39 RON 6.32

71.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.40 RON 6.34

48.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$0.96 RON 4.34

65.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$0.91 RON 4.14

62.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$0.80 RON 3.65

28.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.79 RON 3.58

-34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$5.90 RON 26.79

-27.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$7.84 RON 35.60

139.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.03 RON 4.68

70.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.41 RON 6.39

95.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.71 RON 3.21

91.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$20.13 RON 91.4

-43.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$0.96 RON 4.34

227.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.87 RON 3.96

19.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$7.20 RON 32.70

91.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$1.54 RON 7.01

-12.99%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$27.5K RON 124.7K

0.78%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$28.3K RON 128.6K

19.55%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$171 RON 778

-27.88%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$8.33 RON 37.83

62.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$10.08 RON 45.77

85.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$42.12 RON 191

46.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$18.98 RON 86.2

-9.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$5.59 RON 25.37

63.51%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$434 RON 1,970

61.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$6,944 RON 31.5K

128.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$48.29 RON 219

23.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$30.48 RON 138

15.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$75.1 RON 341

53.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$80.4 RON 365

4.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$382 RON 1,736

61.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$295 RON 1,339

46.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$584 RON 2,653

252.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$438 RON 1,987

245.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$2,063 RON 9,367

76.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$1,374 RON 6,238

91.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$518 RON 2,353

-2.17%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $382 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Zărnești for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 25% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $382 in Zărnești. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $434 in Zărnești. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,006 in Zărnești versus $1,261 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.