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: $947 in Roman versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,553 in Roman versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,158 in Roman versus $2,876 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 31% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.12 RON 55.5

$4.41 ฿147

174.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.46 RON 162

$32.26 ฿1,074

9.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 RON 36.30

$8.93 ฿297

-11.20%

Cappuccino

$2.85 RON 13.05

$2.90 ฿96.4

-1.72%

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

$1.48 RON 6.78

$0.88 ฿29.30

68.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 5.19

$0.48 ฿16.01

135.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 RON 15.10

$2.35 ฿78.3

40.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 RON 10.92

$3.72 ฿124

-36.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 RON 7.26

$1.87 ฿62.1

-14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 RON 4.21

$1.47 ฿48.81

-37.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 RON 6.87

$1.55 ฿51.7

-3.23%

Eggs

$2.93 RON 13.42

$2.10 ฿70.0

39.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 RON 42.44

$19.59 ฿652

-52.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 RON 30.97

$3.42 ฿114

97.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.76 RON 44.71

$11.38 ฿379

-14.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 RON 5.00

$2.98 ฿99.3

-63.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 RON 7.26

$1.68 ฿56.1

-5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RON 6.83

$2.21 ฿73.5

-32.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 RON 10.34

$2.16 ฿72.0

4.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.56

$1.52 ฿50.8

-48.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 RON 3.95

$1.34 ฿44.55

-35.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.17

$1.13 ฿37.57

-19.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 RON 3.86

$0.55 ฿18.19

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 RON 25.90

$4.26 ฿142

32.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.74 RON 30.90

$19.09 ฿635

-64.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.46

$1.78 ฿59.2

-33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 RON 7.90

$2.78 ฿92.6

-38.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 RON 3.69

$2.23 ฿74.2

-64.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.11 RON 106

$22.74 ฿757

1.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 RON 2.88

$3.03 ฿101

-79.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 RON 3.17

$1.02 ฿34.06

-32.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 RON 31.79

$3.89 ฿130

78.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 RON 8.45

$1.49 ฿49.63

24.16%

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

$30.2K RON 138.2K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

13.53%

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

$27.5K RON 126.0K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

1.77%

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

$186 RON 851

$102 ฿3,411

81.21%

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

$7.27 RON 33.30

$11.33 ฿377

-35.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.83 RON 40.44

$17.40 ฿579

-49.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.94 RON 183

$52.1 ฿1,734

-23.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 RON 98.4

$11.07 ฿369

94.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.77 RON 44.77

$7.69 ฿256

27.05%

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

$309 RON 1,416

$561 ฿18.7K

-44.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,275 RON 33.3K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-36.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 RON 254

$63.0 ฿2,098

-11.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.21 RON 125

$29.52 ฿983

-7.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 RON 364

$98.0 ฿3,263

-19.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.3 RON 281

$88.5 ฿2,946

-30.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$225 RON 1,032

$738 ฿24.6K

-69.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 RON 772

$482 ฿16.1K

-65.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 RON 2,941

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-69.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 RON 2,116

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-62.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,940 RON 8,889

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-46.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,381 RON 6,327

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-46.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 RON 3,967

$494 ฿16.4K

75.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.57

29.26%

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

Last update for Roman: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $225 in Roman and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roman pays 75% 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 Roman vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $274, with Roman 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

Roman vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 75% 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: $225 in Roman versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Roman versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $947 in Roman versus $1,232 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.