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: $969 in Tulcea versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,499 in Tulcea versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,030 in Tulcea versus $3,310 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 28% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.86 RON 44.76

$4.56 ฿150

116.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.30 RON 192

$46.63 ฿1,535

-9.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 RON 35.83

$8.47 ฿279

-6.85%

Cappuccino

$2.70 RON 12.26

$3.03 ฿99.7

-10.89%

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

$1.94 RON 8.80

$0.69 ฿22.69

181.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 RON 8.82

$0.37 ฿12.04

424.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 RON 10.34

$2.49 ฿81.9

-8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 RON 16.06

$3.66 ฿120

-3.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RON 6.34

$2.18 ฿71.8

-35.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 RON 4.93

$1.90 ฿62.6

-42.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 7.65

$2.20 ฿72.4

-23.18%

Eggs

$2.39 RON 10.83

$2.22 ฿73.2

7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 RON 40.25

$19.99 ฿658

-55.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.10 RON 32.23

$3.66 ฿121

93.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.93 RON 40.55

$13.25 ฿436

-32.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.34

$3.23 ฿106

-63.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 RON 6.67

$1.70 ฿55.9

-13.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 RON 5.83

$2.39 ฿78.8

-46.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 RON 8.88

$2.08 ฿68.4

-5.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 RON 3.38

$1.59 ฿52.4

-53.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 RON 4.05

$1.48 ฿48.83

-39.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 RON 3.20

$1.03 ฿33.90

-32.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.89

$0.52 ฿17.01

65.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 RON 26.68

$4.25 ฿140

38.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 RON 30.89

$18.79 ฿618

-63.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 RON 4.45

$1.76 ฿57.8

-44.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 RON 6.40

$2.76 ฿90.8

-48.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.23

$1.36 ฿44.79

-47.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.64 RON 125

$11.36 ฿374

143.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 RON 3.08

$3.14 ฿103

-78.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 RON 2.95

$1.04 ฿34.10

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.59 RON 25.38

$13.77 ฿453

-59.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.27

$1.34 ฿44.26

19.40%

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

$25.2K RON 114.4K

$27.7K ฿911.1K

-8.94%

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

$26.9K RON 122.1K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-20.59%

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

$92.2 RON 419

$124 ฿4,069

-25.38%

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

$8.10 RON 36.77

$13.52 ฿445

-40.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.71 RON 44.07

$18.69 ฿615

-48.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.58 RON 121

$61.8 ฿2,035

-57.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.11 RON 86.8

$17.25 ฿568

10.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 RON 30.46

$9.14 ฿301

-26.59%

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

$430 RON 1,952

$703 ฿23.1K

-38.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,893 RON 31.3K

$15.9K ฿522.5K

-56.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 RON 382

$59.5 ฿1,958

41.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 RON 190

$35.07 ฿1,154

19.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 RON 339

$115 ฿3,795

-35.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 RON 438

$84.1 ฿2,767

14.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 RON 1,766

$619 ฿20.4K

-37.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 RON 1,314

$433 ฿14.2K

-33.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 RON 2,621

$2,062 ฿67.9K

-72.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 RON 1,966

$1,511 ฿49.7K

-71.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,329 RON 6,034

$3,646 ฿120.0K

-63.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 RON 5,287

$2,626 ฿86.4K

-55.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$644 RON 2,921

$507 ฿16.7K

26.93%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $389 in Tulcea and $619 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: $42.00 in Tulcea vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $293 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: $389 in Tulcea versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $430 in Tulcea versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $969 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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.