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: $1,040 in Tulcea versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,669 in Tulcea versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,297 in Tulcea versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Tulcea costs roughly 18% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tulcea 25% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.39 RON 55.9

$4.66 ฿153

165.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.71 RON 220

$32.22 ฿1,059

51.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 RON 36.70

$8.68 ฿285

-6.34%

Cappuccino

$2.27 RON 10.25

$2.90 ฿95.3

-21.72%

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

$2.19 RON 9.90

$0.84 ฿27.75

160.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 5.11

$0.49 ฿16.08

130.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 RON 10.26

$2.48 ฿81.6

-8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 RON 10.18

$3.73 ฿123

-39.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 RON 7.71

$1.89 ฿62.0

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 RON 4.94

$1.41 ฿46.31

-22.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.08

$1.62 ฿53.3

-3.09%

Eggs

$3.27 RON 14.78

$2.24 ฿73.7

45.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 RON 37.57

$19.84 ฿652

-58.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 RON 31.43

$3.48 ฿114

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 RON 43.90

$11.37 ฿374

-14.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 RON 6.14

$2.90 ฿95.3

-53.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 RON 7.94

$1.72 ฿56.7

2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 RON 6.78

$2.27 ฿74.7

-33.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 RON 9.18

$2.13 ฿70.1

-4.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.63

$1.47 ฿48.49

-45.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.42

$1.42 ฿46.69

-46.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 RON 3.21

$1.10 ฿36.08

-35.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.62

$0.60 ฿19.66

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 RON 30.30

$4.31 ฿142

55.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 RON 30.60

$18.60 ฿612

-63.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 RON 4.70

$1.80 ฿59.2

-42.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 RON 6.90

$2.97 ฿97.5

-48.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 RON 5.14

$2.25 ฿73.8

-49.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 RON 86.8

$23.49 ฿772

-18.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 2.87

$3.10 ฿102

-79.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 RON 3.03

$1.08 ฿35.39

-37.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 RON 29.13

$3.87 ฿127

66.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 RON 8.04

$1.43 ฿46.93

24.48%

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

$29.1K RON 131.3K

$27.8K ฿913.6K

4.64%

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

$26.1K RON 118.0K

$27.0K ฿887.2K

-3.15%

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

$139 RON 626

$105 ฿3,446

32.35%

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

$8.66 RON 39.11

$11.39 ฿375

-23.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.86 RON 40.00

$17.54 ฿577

-49.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.59 RON 147

$54.3 ฿1,787

-40.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.46 RON 78.9

$11.44 ฿376

52.62%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 RON 39.86

$7.78 ฿256

13.50%

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

$329 RON 1,488

$576 ฿19.0K

-42.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,336 RON 15.1K

$11.6K ฿380.8K

-71.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 RON 248

$63.6 ฿2,092

-13.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.70 RON 148

$29.10 ฿957

12.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 RON 443

$96.2 ฿3,164

1.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100.0 RON 452

$90.0 ฿2,960

11.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 RON 1,672

$733 ฿24.1K

-49.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 RON 1,338

$501 ฿16.5K

-40.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 RON 2,874

$2,126 ฿69.9K

-70.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 RON 2,410

$1,252 ฿41.2K

-57.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,053 RON 4,755

$3,534 ฿116.2K

-70.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$938 RON 4,237

$2,622 ฿86.2K

-64.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 RON 3,023

$508 ฿16.7K

31.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

5.57

22.98%

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

Last update for Tulcea: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $370 in Tulcea and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulcea pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Tulcea vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $275, with Tulcea 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

Tulcea vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulcea is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Tulcea, 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: $370 in Tulcea versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Tulcea 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 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,040 in Tulcea versus $1,265 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.