Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibiu and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibiu and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,074 in Sibiu versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,655 in Sibiu versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,236 in Sibiu versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Sibiu costs roughly 14% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sibiu 20% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 RON 42.64

$4.55 ฿153

104.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.72 RON 210

$46.18 ฿1,554

-1.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.98 RON 32.00

$8.84 ฿298

-21.04%

Cappuccino

$3.11 RON 14.27

$3.06 ฿103

1.63%

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

$2.07 RON 9.49

$0.73 ฿24.42

183.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RON 7.86

$0.40 ฿13.40

327.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 RON 12.94

$2.43 ฿81.8

16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 RON 15.67

$3.78 ฿127

-9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 RON 6.95

$2.26 ฿76.0

-33.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 RON 5.76

$1.81 ฿60.9

-30.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.08

$2.25 ฿75.8

-31.56%

Eggs

$3.22 RON 14.79

$2.25 ฿75.6

43.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 RON 36.13

$19.51 ฿656

-59.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 RON 29.09

$3.65 ฿123

73.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 RON 41.76

$13.05 ฿439

-30.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 RON 5.31

$3.23 ฿109

-64.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.19

$1.62 ฿54.4

-3.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.56

$2.38 ฿80.2

-30.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 RON 10.15

$2.03 ฿68.2

8.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.53

$1.53 ฿51.6

-49.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 RON 4.01

$1.50 ฿50.5

-42.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 RON 4.82

$0.98 ฿32.93

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.96

$0.52 ฿17.40

65.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 RON 27.07

$4.44 ฿149

32.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 RON 38.18

$18.32 ฿616

-54.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.54

$1.86 ฿62.7

-46.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RON 8.25

$2.68 ฿90.2

-32.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.28

$1.41 ฿47.49

-48.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.78 RON 90.7

$11.70 ฿394

69.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 RON 4.15

$3.11 ฿105

-71.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 RON 3.78

$1.04 ฿35.08

-20.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 RON 41.80

$14.11 ฿475

-35.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.59

$1.31 ฿44.13

25.95%

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

$28.4K RON 130.4K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

2.21%

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

$26.4K RON 121.1K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-20.49%

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

$140 RON 642

$122 ฿4,120

14.32%

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

$8.87 RON 40.68

$13.59 ฿457

-34.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.42 RON 52.4

$18.70 ฿629

-38.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.55 RON 186

$60.5 ฿2,035

-32.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.36 RON 70.5

$16.98 ฿572

-9.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 RON 32.60

$9.07 ฿305

-21.61%

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

$437 RON 2,005

$706 ฿23.8K

-38.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,874 RON 31.5K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-56.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 RON 312

$58.6 ฿1,970

16.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.54 RON 177

$35.36 ฿1,190

8.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 RON 390

$115 ฿3,885

-26.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 RON 433

$83.7 ฿2,818

12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 RON 1,725

$626 ฿21.1K

-39.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 RON 1,481

$445 ฿15.0K

-27.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 RON 3,166

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-66.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 RON 2,561

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-62.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,531 RON 11.6K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-27.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,061 RON 9,451

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-20.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,147 RON 5,261

$500 ฿16.8K

129.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.33

21.95%

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

Last update for Sibiu: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $376 in Sibiu and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sibiu pays 130% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Sibiu vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $289 per month, with Sibiu 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

Sibiu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibiu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 130% higher in Sibiu, 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: $376 in Sibiu versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Sibiu versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,074 in Sibiu versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sibiu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sibiu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sibiu 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, Sibiu 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 Sibiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.