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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $993 in Targu Mures versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,532 in Targu Mures versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,071 in Targu Mures versus $2,913 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Targu Mures 28% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.12 RON 41.16

$4.66 ฿153

95.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.14 RON 204

$32.22 ฿1,057

40.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 RON 39.09

$8.68 ฿285

-0.23%

Cappuccino

$2.40 RON 10.83

$2.90 ฿95.1

-17.24%

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

$1.58 RON 7.15

$0.84 ฿27.69

88.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 5.83

$0.49 ฿16.05

163.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 RON 8.81

$2.48 ฿81.5

-21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 RON 11.24

$3.73 ฿122

-33.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 RON 6.41

$1.89 ฿61.9

-24.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 RON 5.04

$1.41 ฿46.21

-20.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 RON 6.93

$1.62 ฿53.2

-5.56%

Eggs

$2.99 RON 13.49

$2.24 ฿73.5

33.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 RON 38.36

$19.84 ฿651

-57.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 RON 28.18

$3.48 ฿114

79.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 RON 47.96

$11.37 ฿373

-6.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 RON 4.65

$2.90 ฿95.1

-64.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 RON 6.03

$1.72 ฿56.6

-22.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 RON 6.61

$2.27 ฿74.6

-35.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 RON 8.57

$2.13 ฿70.0

-10.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.42

$1.47 ฿48.38

-48.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 RON 2.54

$1.42 ฿46.59

-60.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 RON 3.89

$1.10 ฿36.00

-21.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 RON 3.39

$0.60 ฿19.62

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 RON 28.10

$4.31 ฿141

44.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 RON 35.88

$18.60 ฿610

-57.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 RON 5.06

$1.80 ฿59.1

-37.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 RON 7.42

$2.97 ฿97.3

-44.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 RON 2.88

$2.25 ฿73.7

-71.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 RON 122

$23.49 ฿771

15.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 RON 4.07

$3.10 ฿102

-70.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 RON 4.10

$1.08 ฿35.31

-15.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 RON 36.46

$3.87 ฿127

108.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RON 8.43

$1.43 ฿46.83

30.77%

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

$29.8K RON 134.6K

$27.8K ฿911.7K

7.27%

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

$26.6K RON 120.2K

$27.0K ฿885.3K

-1.36%

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

$106 RON 477

$105 ฿3,438

0.88%

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

$9.81 RON 44.29

$11.39 ฿374

-13.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.36 RON 37.73

$17.54 ฿576

-52.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.43 RON 196

$54.3 ฿1,783

-20.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 RON 87.3

$11.44 ฿375

69.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 RON 30.53

$7.78 ฿255

-13.11%

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

$1,374 RON 6,203

$576 ฿18.9K

138.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 RON 254

$63.6 ฿2,088

-11.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.54 RON 142

$29.10 ฿955

8.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 RON 365

$96.2 ฿3,157

-15.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.7 RON 369

$90.0 ฿2,953

-9.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 RON 2,004

$733 ฿24.1K

-39.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 RON 1,386

$501 ฿16.4K

-38.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 RON 3,010

$2,126 ฿69.7K

-68.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 RON 2,281

$1,252 ฿41.1K

-59.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,388 RON 10.8K

$3,534 ฿115.9K

-32.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,511 RON 6,820

$2,622 ฿86.0K

-42.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,042 RON 4,704

$508 ฿16.7K

105.29%

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 Mures: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $444 in Targu Mures and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Targu Mures pays 105% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Targu Mures vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $201 vs $275, with Targu Mures 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 Mures vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Mures is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 105% higher in Targu Mures, 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: $444 in Targu Mures versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,374 in Targu Mures 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 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $993 in Targu Mures versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Mures but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Mures the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Targu Mures 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 Mures 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 Mures 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.