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: $996 in Roman versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,492 in Roman versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,987 in Roman versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Roman costs roughly 22% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Roman 26% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 RON 52.1

$4.66 ฿150

157.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.97 RON 121

$46.44 ฿1,496

-39.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 RON 34.52

$8.68 ฿280

-8.41%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 14.92

$2.95 ฿95.0

16.61%

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

$1.17 RON 5.06

$0.70 ฿22.52

67.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 RON 8.74

$0.39 ฿12.70

415.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 RON 14.13

$2.53 ฿81.6

28.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 RON 10.06

$3.78 ฿122

-38.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 6.62

$2.22 ฿71.5

-31.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 RON 3.89

$1.80 ฿57.8

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.15

$2.19 ฿70.4

-24.66%

Eggs

$3.12 RON 13.56

$2.31 ฿74.5

35.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 RON 38.71

$19.34 ฿623

-53.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.13 RON 30.96

$3.77 ฿121

89.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.58 RON 50.3

$13.22 ฿426

-12.41%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.13

$3.33 ฿107

-71.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 RON 6.63

$1.65 ฿53.1

-7.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.62

$2.29 ฿73.7

-33.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 RON 9.71

$1.99 ฿64.1

12.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.41

$1.53 ฿49.24

-49.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 RON 4.38

$1.51 ฿48.77

-33.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 3.80

$1.03 ฿33.12

-15.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 RON 3.41

$0.51 ฿16.57

54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.01 RON 26.07

$4.41 ฿142

36.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.72 RON 29.18

$19.41 ฿625

-65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 4.91

$1.80 ฿58.0

-37.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 RON 7.18

$2.68 ฿86.4

-38.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.13

$1.43 ฿46.11

-49.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.10 RON 87.3

$11.70 ฿377

71.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 RON 2.89

$3.04 ฿97.9

-77.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 RON 2.78

$1.04 ฿33.37

-38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 RON 29.38

$13.68 ฿441

-50.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 RON 6.91

$1.30 ฿41.85

22.31%

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

$27.9K RON 121.1K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-0.01%

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

$27.5K RON 119.4K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-16.69%

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

$92.9 RON 403

$123 ฿3,962

-24.47%

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

$3.48 RON 15.11

$13.82 ฿445

-74.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.62 RON 24.41

$18.86 ฿608

-70.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 RON 181

$61.2 ฿1,970

-31.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 RON 83.6

$16.81 ฿541

14.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.76 RON 46.69

$8.87 ฿286

21.31%

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

$317 RON 1,377

$696 ฿22.4K

-54.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,640 RON 28.8K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-58.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 RON 289

$59.3 ฿1,910

12.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.07 RON 74.1

$34.85 ฿1,123

-51.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 RON 413

$113 ฿3,646

-16.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.00 RON 152

$85.1 ฿2,740

-58.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 RON 1,696

$615 ฿19.8K

-36.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 RON 1,266

$448 ฿14.4K

-34.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 RON 2,525

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-72.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$442 RON 1,917

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-70.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 RON 7,339

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-54.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,271 RON 5,515

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-52.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$882 RON 3,828

$534 ฿17.2K

65.33%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $391 in Roman and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roman pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28 in Roman vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $291 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 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Roman pays 65% more on average, 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: $391 in Roman versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $317 in Roman versus $696 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 $996 in Roman versus $1,270 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.