Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sfantu Gheorghe and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Sfantu Gheorghe: $813 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Sfantu Gheorghe
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Sfantu Gheorghe Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Sfantu Gheorghe

🇷🇴 Romania

$813

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sfantu Gheorghe and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sfantu Gheorghe and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Sfantu Gheorghe $813
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,297 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Sfantu Gheorghe $1,297
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,781 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Sfantu Gheorghe $1,781
Phuket $2,845

Living in Sfantu Gheorghe costs roughly 33% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sfantu Gheorghe 40% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.56 RON 40.51

$4.40 ฿147

94.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.50 RON 196

$32.26 ฿1,078

28.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 RON 34.10

$8.76 ฿293

-17.69%

Cappuccino

$2.54 RON 12.04

$2.83 ฿94.5

-10.25%

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

$1.23 RON 5.81

$0.90 ฿30.14

36.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$0.47 ฿15.56

127.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 RON 11.74

$2.55 ฿85.2

-2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 RON 10.20

$3.83 ฿128

-43.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 RON 6.55

$1.73 ฿57.7

-19.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RON 5.36

$1.47 ฿49.11

-23.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.64

$1.51 ฿50.6

-7.28%

Eggs

$3.28 RON 15.52

$2.17 ฿72.7

51.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.81 RON 36.97

$19.70 ฿658

-60.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 RON 21.83

$3.34 ฿112

38.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.72 RON 36.51

$11.16 ฿373

-30.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 RON 5.11

$2.85 ฿95.1

-62.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 RON 7.14

$1.70 ฿56.9

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 RON 5.52

$2.19 ฿73.3

-46.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 RON 11.92

$2.05 ฿68.4

22.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 RON 3.27

$1.45 ฿48.57

-52.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 RON 2.84

$1.38 ฿46.16

-56.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.86

$1.07 ฿35.69

-3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 RON 3.81

$0.51 ฿16.91

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 RON 23.17

$4.26 ฿142

15.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 RON 35.10

$18.58 ฿621

-60.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 RON 4.56

$1.78 ฿59.7

-46.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.05

$2.85 ฿95.2

-62.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$2.26 ฿75.6

-61.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.61 RON 73.9

$22.10 ฿738

-29.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.72

$3.01 ฿101

-66.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 RON 4.17

$1.06 ฿35.34

-16.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 RON 39.63

$3.86 ฿129

117.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.68

$1.45 ฿48.45

11.72%

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

$28.9K RON 136.9K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

9.88%

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

$24.9K RON 117.8K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-7.61%

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

$113 RON 536

$96.4 ฿3,221

17.58%

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

$9.41 RON 44.53

$11.04 ฿369

-14.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.23 RON 57.9

$17.14 ฿573

-28.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.71 RON 193

$52.2 ฿1,744

-21.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.72 RON 98.0

$11.16 ฿373

85.66%

Cinema Ticket

$3.13 RON 14.80

$7.81 ฿261

-59.92%

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

$444 RON 2,102

$556 ฿18.6K

-20.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,646 RON 31.4K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-42.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.88 RON 122

$64.2 ฿2,146

-59.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.62 RON 64.4

$28.69 ฿959

-52.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.45 RON 187

$95.4 ฿3,187

-58.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.3 RON 299

$88.0 ฿2,940

-28.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 RON 1,389

$737 ฿24.6K

-60.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 RON 1,003

$462 ฿15.5K

-54.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 RON 2,479

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-74.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 RON 1,897

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-66.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,843 RON 8,718

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-47.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,362 RON 6,445

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-46.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$691 RON 3,271

$501 ฿16.7K

38.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.57

21.18%

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

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sfantu Gheorghe

$212 26.1%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 118% $250

Groceries & Markets

Sfantu Gheorghe

$184 22.6%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 45.9% $85

Eating Out

Sfantu Gheorghe

$147 18%

Phuket

$121 10% 17.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sfantu Gheorghe

$135 16.6%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 7.7% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Sfantu Gheorghe

$64 7.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 94.2% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Sfantu Gheorghe

$47 5.8%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 44.3% $21

Getting Around

Sfantu Gheorghe

$24 3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 61.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $294 in Sfantu Gheorghe and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sfantu Gheorghe pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Sfantu Gheorghe vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $184 vs $269, with Sfantu Gheorghe cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Sfantu Gheorghe

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

03:07 3:07 AM

07:07 7:07 AM

4 h ahead of Sfantu Gheorghe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,006

79,308

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sfantu Gheorghe Phuket 8,030 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sfantu Gheorghe
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Sfantu Gheorghe vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sfantu Gheorghe is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Sfantu Gheorghe, 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: $294 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $444 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $556 in Phuket. 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 $813 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sfantu Gheorghe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sfantu Gheorghe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sfantu Gheorghe 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, Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.