Cost of Living Comparison Between Roman and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Roman and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $972 in Roman versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,490 in Roman versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,008 in Roman versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Roman costs roughly 23% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Roman 27% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 RON 56.4

$4.53 ฿153

171.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.10 RON 124

$46.36 ฿1,565

-41.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 RON 36.86

$8.65 ฿292

-7.17%

Cappuccino

$3.39 RON 15.57

$3.09 ฿104

9.71%

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

$1.13 RON 5.17

$0.68 ฿22.89

66.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 RON 9.16

$0.37 ฿12.44

440.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 RON 14.94

$2.42 ฿81.6

34.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 RON 10.78

$3.81 ฿129

-38.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 7.02

$2.18 ฿73.5

-29.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 RON 4.39

$1.82 ฿61.3

-47.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.57

$2.18 ฿73.5

-24.31%

Eggs

$3.02 RON 13.85

$2.24 ฿75.4

34.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.91 RON 40.89

$19.93 ฿673

-55.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.12 RON 32.65

$3.64 ฿123

95.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 RON 52.0

$13.56 ฿458

-16.45%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.40

$3.29 ฿111

-70.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 RON 6.72

$1.69 ฿56.9

-13.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 RON 7.00

$2.33 ฿78.8

-34.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 RON 10.25

$2.03 ฿68.4

9.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 RON 3.89

$1.60 ฿54.0

-46.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 RON 4.90

$1.49 ฿50.5

-28.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 RON 4.02

$1.01 ฿34.17

-12.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 RON 3.88

$0.48 ฿16.09

77.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 RON 26.80

$4.45 ฿150

31.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 RON 29.21

$18.63 ฿629

-65.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.23

$1.79 ฿60.3

-36.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 RON 7.53

$2.80 ฿94.4

-41.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.25

$1.42 ฿47.90

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.00 RON 91.8

$11.33 ฿382

76.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 RON 3.12

$3.09 ฿104

-77.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.81

$1.04 ฿35.19

-41.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.83 RON 31.34

$13.63 ฿460

-49.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 RON 7.55

$1.31 ฿44.23

25.19%

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

$27.5K RON 126.1K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

0.75%

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

$27.3K RON 125.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-17.81%

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

$93.1 RON 427

$123 ฿4,157

-24.45%

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

$3.50 RON 16.08

$13.81 ฿466

-74.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.70 RON 26.13

$18.52 ฿625

-69.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 RON 192

$60.4 ฿2,037

-30.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.16 RON 87.9

$16.80 ฿567

14.05%

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 RON 50.1

$8.89 ฿300

22.72%

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

$321 RON 1,472

$687 ฿23.2K

-53.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,502 RON 29.8K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

-58.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 RON 302

$57.6 ฿1,945

14.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.44 RON 80.0

$34.66 ฿1,170

-49.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 RON 448

$115 ฿3,879

-15.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.28 RON 157

$84.9 ฿2,865

-59.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 RON 1,804

$618 ฿20.8K

-36.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 RON 1,341

$443 ฿15.0K

-34.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 RON 2,725

$2,047 ฿69.1K

-70.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 RON 2,016

$1,506 ฿50.8K

-70.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,727 RON 7,921

$3,568 ฿120.4K

-51.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 RON 6,453

$2,511 ฿84.7K

-43.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$843 RON 3,867

$503 ฿17.0K

67.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

5.33

44.47%

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

Last update for Roman: July 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Roman and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roman pays 68% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Roman vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $292 per month, with Roman 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

Roman vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roman is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 68% higher in Roman, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $393 in Roman versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Roman versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $972 in Roman versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roman but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Roman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Roman 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, Roman and Phuket 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 Roman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.