Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Frumos and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Frumos and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $962 in Targu Frumos versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Targu Frumos versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,041 in Targu Frumos versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Targu Frumos costs roughly 24% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Targu Frumos 30% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.69 RON 39.36

$4.66 ฿154

86.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.94 RON 199

$32.22 ฿1,065

36.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 RON 40.19

$8.68 ฿287

2.19%

Cappuccino

$2.36 RON 10.70

$2.90 ฿95.8

-18.62%

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

$1.51 RON 6.83

$0.84 ฿27.89

79.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.64

$0.49 ฿16.16

153.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 RON 8.87

$2.48 ฿82.0

-20.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 RON 10.83

$3.73 ฿123

-35.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 RON 6.75

$1.89 ฿62.3

-21.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RON 5.31

$1.41 ฿46.54

-17.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 RON 6.96

$1.62 ฿53.6

-4.94%

Eggs

$2.94 RON 13.33

$2.24 ฿74.1

31.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 RON 37.28

$19.84 ฿656

-58.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 RON 28.66

$3.48 ฿115

81.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 RON 49.56

$11.37 ฿376

-3.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 RON 4.57

$2.90 ฿95.8

-65.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 RON 6.13

$1.72 ฿57.0

-21.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 RON 6.60

$2.27 ฿75.1

-35.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 RON 8.61

$2.13 ฿70.4

-10.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.60

$1.47 ฿48.72

-46.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 RON 2.38

$1.42 ฿46.92

-63.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 RON 3.91

$1.10 ฿36.25

-21.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 RON 3.56

$0.60 ฿19.76

31.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 RON 27.91

$4.31 ฿142

42.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.52 RON 34.05

$18.60 ฿615

-59.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 RON 4.88

$1.80 ฿59.5

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 RON 7.67

$2.97 ฿98.0

-43.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.46

$2.25 ฿74.2

-66.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.62 RON 97.9

$23.49 ฿776

-7.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 3.97

$3.10 ฿102

-71.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 3.86

$1.08 ฿35.56

-21.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 RON 36.69

$3.87 ฿128

109.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 8.17

$1.43 ฿47.16

25.87%

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

$30.0K RON 135.7K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

7.84%

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

$26.8K RON 121.6K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-0.53%

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

$105 RON 477

$105 ฿3,462

0.42%

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

$9.78 RON 44.28

$11.39 ฿376

-14.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.44 RON 38.24

$17.54 ฿580

-51.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.78 RON 158

$54.3 ฿1,795

-36.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.76 RON 98.6

$11.44 ฿378

90.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 RON 29.88

$7.78 ฿257

-15.17%

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

$442 RON 2,000

$576 ฿19.0K

-23.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,364 RON 33.3K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-36.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 RON 248

$63.6 ฿2,103

-14.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 RON 142

$29.10 ฿961

7.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 RON 357

$96.2 ฿3,179

-18.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 RON 373

$90.0 ฿2,974

-8.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$355 RON 1,610

$733 ฿24.2K

-51.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 RON 1,545

$501 ฿16.5K

-31.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 RON 2,621

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-72.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 RON 2,006

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-64.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,060 RON 9,328

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-41.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,604 RON 7,263

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-38.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.47

5.57

34.11%

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

Last update for Targu Frumos: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $355 in Targu Frumos and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Targu Frumos vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $202 vs $275, with Targu Frumos 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

Targu Frumos vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Frumos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,444 in Targu Frumos and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $355 in Targu Frumos versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $442 in Targu Frumos versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $962 in Targu Frumos versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Targu Frumos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Frumos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Targu Frumos 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, Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.