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: $989 in Tulcea versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,510 in Tulcea versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,032 in Tulcea versus $3,291 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Tulcea 26% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.82 RON 45.04

$4.53 ฿153

116.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.08 RON 198

$46.36 ฿1,562

-7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 RON 35.14

$8.65 ฿291

-11.45%

Cappuccino

$2.71 RON 12.41

$3.09 ฿104

-12.30%

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

$1.90 RON 8.73

$0.68 ฿22.85

179.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 RON 8.85

$0.37 ฿12.41

421.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 RON 10.36

$2.42 ฿81.4

-6.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 RON 16.24

$3.81 ฿128

-7.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 RON 6.20

$2.18 ฿73.4

-38.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 RON 4.79

$1.82 ฿61.2

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 RON 8.03

$2.18 ฿73.3

-19.72%

Eggs

$2.37 RON 10.87

$2.24 ฿75.3

5.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.51 RON 39.03

$19.93 ฿671

-57.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.10 RON 32.54

$3.64 ฿123

95.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 RON 40.91

$13.56 ฿457

-34.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 RON 5.53

$3.29 ฿111

-63.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 RON 6.50

$1.69 ฿56.8

-15.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 RON 5.93

$2.33 ฿78.6

-44.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 RON 8.79

$2.03 ฿68.3

-5.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.50

$1.60 ฿53.9

-52.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.27

$1.49 ฿50.4

-37.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 RON 3.42

$1.01 ฿34.11

-25.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.96

$0.48 ฿16.06

79.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.73 RON 26.29

$4.45 ฿150

28.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.91 RON 31.66

$18.63 ฿628

-62.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.14

$1.79 ฿60.2

-49.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 RON 6.28

$2.80 ฿94.2

-51.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.22

$1.42 ฿47.81

-50.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.46 RON 126

$11.33 ฿382

142.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 RON 3.32

$3.09 ฿104

-76.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.79

$1.04 ฿35.13

-41.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 RON 25.88

$13.63 ฿459

-58.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 RON 7.12

$1.31 ฿44.15

18.32%

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

$25.4K RON 116.3K

$27.3K ฿919.1K

-7.00%

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

$27.5K RON 126.1K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-17.19%

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

$93.4 RON 428

$123 ฿4,149

-24.16%

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

$7.81 RON 35.80

$13.81 ฿465

-43.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.17 RON 46.63

$18.52 ฿624

-45.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 RON 119

$60.4 ฿2,034

-56.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.54 RON 89.6

$16.80 ฿566

16.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.84 RON 31.38

$8.89 ฿299

-23.06%

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

$434 RON 1,991

$687 ฿23.1K

-36.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,793 RON 31.1K

$15.6K ฿523.9K

-56.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 RON 382

$57.6 ฿1,942

44.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.93 RON 197

$34.66 ฿1,168

23.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 RON 336

$115 ฿3,872

-36.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.2 RON 450

$84.9 ฿2,860

15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 RON 1,762

$618 ฿20.8K

-37.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 RON 1,353

$443 ฿14.9K

-33.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 RON 2,645

$2,047 ฿69.0K

-71.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 RON 1,998

$1,506 ฿50.7K

-71.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,299 RON 5,955

$3,568 ฿120.2K

-63.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,130 RON 5,180

$2,511 ฿84.6K

-55.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$641 RON 2,937

$503 ฿16.9K

27.43%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $384 in Tulcea and $618 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: $43.00 in Tulcea vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $292 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $384 in Tulcea versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $434 in Tulcea versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $989 in Tulcea versus $1,261 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 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.