Cost of Living Comparison Between Monaco and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Monaco and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $10.9K in Monaco versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $12.4K in Monaco versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $13.9K in Monaco versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Monaco is roughly 773% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monaco is 697% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.36 €17.50

$4.56 ฿150

346.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$174 €150

$32.62 ฿1,073

433.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.91 €11.10

$8.90 ฿293

45.06%

Cappuccino

$3.94 €3.39

$2.80 ฿92.2

40.71%

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

$6.44 €5.54

$0.88 ฿28.94

631.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 €4.11

$0.49 ฿16.08

877.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.64 €9.15

$2.39 ฿78.5

345.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.15 €7.87

$3.71 ฿122

146.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.79 ฿58.8

5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 €2.89

$1.44 ฿47.40

134.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 €3.73

$1.58 ฿52.1

174.68%

Eggs

$5.00 €4.30

$2.13 ฿69.9

134.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 €12.32

$19.92 ฿655

-28.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.48 €15.03

$3.43 ฿113

409.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 €16.03

$11.33 ฿372

64.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 €2.81

$2.95 ฿97.0

10.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 €2.53

$1.72 ฿56.6

70.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.43

$2.32 ฿76.5

21.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 €3.13

$2.08 ฿68.4

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.47 ฿48.34

72.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 €2.52

$1.36 ฿44.65

115.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.10 ฿36.13

77.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$7.95 €6.83

$0.57 ฿18.89

1294.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.36 €12.34

$4.27 ฿140

236.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 €6.85

$18.42 ฿606

-56.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.87 ฿61.5

-12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 €3.98

$2.92 ฿96.1

58.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.22 ฿73.0

1.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.67 €21.21

$22.90 ฿753

7.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.07 ฿35.32

51.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$94.6 €81.3

$3.93 ฿129

2306.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.49 ฿49.06

53.69%

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

$51.0K €43.8K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

87.82%

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

$41.2K €35.5K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

50.25%

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

$438 €376

$103 ฿3,380

325.88%

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

$42.52 €36.55

$10.99 ฿361

286.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.2 €57.8

$17.51 ฿576

283.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$239 €206

$53.5 ฿1,760

347.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.7 €47.86

$11.20 ฿368

397.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.11 €12.13

$7.48 ฿246

88.64%

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

$2,234 €1,920

$557 ฿18.3K

301.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$45.6K €39.2K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

285.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$158 €136

$64.1 ฿2,107

146.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.0 €73.9

$29.07 ฿956

195.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 €148

$96.0 ฿3,155

79.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$768 €661

$90.3 ฿2,970

750.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,435 €8,111

$730 ฿24.0K

1192.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$8,667 €7,451

$500 ฿16.4K

1633.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

718.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$8,551 €7,352

$1,209 ฿39.8K

607.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$75.9K €65.2K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

2010.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$57.7K €49.6K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

2197.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,142 €7,859

$503 ฿16.6K

1716.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

5.57

-41.65%

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

Last update for Monaco: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $9,435 in Monaco and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monaco pays 1716% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $174 in Monaco vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $273 per month, with Phuket 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

Monaco vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monaco and Phuket differ by about 773% in total monthly costs ($10.9K vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1716% higher in Monaco, 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: $9,435 in Monaco versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $174 in Monaco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $10.9K per month in Monaco versus $1,253 in Phuket – a 773% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $10.9K in Monaco, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Monaco. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Monaco 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 773% less than in Monaco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.