Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulcea and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulcea and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $980 in Tulcea versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,496 in Tulcea versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,012 in Tulcea versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Tulcea costs roughly 23% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tulcea 27% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 RON 43.30

$4.66 ฿150

114.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.04 RON 182

$46.44 ฿1,496

-9.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 RON 34.91

$8.68 ฿280

-7.37%

Cappuccino

$2.67 RON 11.58

$2.95 ฿95.0

-9.49%

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

$1.99 RON 8.66

$0.70 ฿22.52

184.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 RON 8.35

$0.39 ฿12.70

392.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 RON 10.10

$2.53 ฿81.6

-7.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 RON 14.82

$3.78 ฿122

-9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 RON 5.82

$2.22 ฿71.5

-39.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 RON 4.56

$1.80 ฿57.8

-41.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 RON 7.64

$2.19 ฿70.4

-19.63%

Eggs

$2.29 RON 9.94

$2.31 ฿74.5

-0.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 RON 37.54

$19.34 ฿623

-55.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.21 RON 31.30

$3.77 ฿121

91.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.14 RON 39.67

$13.22 ฿426

-30.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 RON 5.31

$3.33 ฿107

-63.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 RON 6.14

$1.65 ฿53.1

-13.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 RON 5.60

$2.29 ฿73.7

-43.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 RON 8.62

$1.99 ฿64.1

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.46

$1.53 ฿49.24

-47.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.08

$1.51 ฿48.77

-37.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 RON 3.02

$1.03 ฿33.12

-32.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RON 3.77

$0.51 ฿16.57

70.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 RON 24.52

$4.41 ฿142

28.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 RON 30.19

$19.41 ฿625

-64.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 3.99

$1.80 ฿58.0

-48.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 RON 6.13

$2.68 ฿86.4

-47.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.07

$1.43 ฿46.11

-50.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.81 RON 116

$11.70 ฿377

129.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 RON 3.12

$3.04 ฿97.9

-76.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 RON 2.80

$1.04 ฿33.37

-38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 RON 24.31

$13.68 ฿441

-59.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 RON 6.98

$1.30 ฿41.85

23.85%

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

$25.1K RON 108.9K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-10.08%

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

$27.5K RON 119.5K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-16.64%

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

$92.4 RON 401

$123 ฿3,962

-24.83%

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

$7.88 RON 34.20

$13.82 ฿445

-42.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.92 RON 43.05

$18.86 ฿608

-47.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.81 RON 116

$61.2 ฿1,970

-56.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 RON 82.6

$16.81 ฿541

13.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 RON 30.49

$8.87 ฿286

-20.74%

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

$434 RON 1,882

$696 ฿22.4K

-37.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,053 RON 30.6K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-56.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 RON 354

$59.3 ฿1,910

37.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.18 RON 187

$34.85 ฿1,123

23.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 RON 318

$113 ฿3,646

-35.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.6 RON 424

$85.1 ฿2,740

14.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 RON 1,681

$615 ฿19.8K

-37.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 RON 1,256

$448 ฿14.4K

-35.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 RON 2,576

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-71.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 RON 1,896

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-70.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,409 RON 6,113

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-62.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 RON 5,157

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-55.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 RON 2,944

$534 ฿17.2K

27.13%

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 Tulcea: April 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Tulcea and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulcea pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42 in Tulcea vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $291 per month, with Tulcea 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

Tulcea vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulcea is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tulcea pays 27% 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: $387 in Tulcea versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $434 in Tulcea 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 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $980 in Tulcea versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tulcea but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tulcea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tulcea 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, Tulcea 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 Tulcea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.