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 $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $11.7K in Monaco versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $12.5K in Monaco versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Monaco is roughly 774% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monaco is 718% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.12 €20.20

$4.55 ฿153

408.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$203 €178

$46.18 ฿1,550

340.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.99 €10.48

$8.84 ฿297

35.63%

Cappuccino

$4.92 €4.29

$3.06 ฿103

60.78%

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

$5.76 €5.04

$0.73 ฿24.36

689.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 €4.06

$0.40 ฿13.37

1062.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 €8.47

$2.43 ฿81.6

298.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 €7.16

$3.78 ฿127

116.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.26 ฿75.8

-20.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.28 €3.74

$1.81 ฿60.8

136.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 €3.01

$2.25 ฿75.7

52.89%

Eggs

$4.67 €4.08

$2.25 ฿75.4

107.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.33 €15.14

$19.51 ฿655

-11.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.79 €14.67

$3.65 ฿122

360.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.86 €14.73

$13.05 ฿438

29.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 €2.25

$3.23 ฿109

-20.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 €2.50

$1.62 ฿54.3

76.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 €2.52

$2.38 ฿80.0

21.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 €4.15

$2.03 ฿68.0

133.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.19

$1.53 ฿51.5

63.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 €2.31

$1.50 ฿50.4

76.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 €1.71

$0.98 ฿32.85

98.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$8.06 €7.05

$0.52 ฿17.36

1450.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.58

$4.44 ฿149

224.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 €6.98

$18.32 ฿615

-56.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.86 ฿62.6

-11.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 €4.48

$2.68 ฿90.0

91.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.41 ฿47.37

51.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.38 €22.18

$11.70 ฿393

116.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.54 €6.58

$3.11 ฿104

142.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 €1.42

$1.04 ฿35.00

55.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.6 €80.1

$14.11 ฿474

549.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.31 ฿44.02

82.44%

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

$50.3K €44.0K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

80.89%

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

$40.3K €35.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

21.40%

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

$333 €291

$122 ฿4,110

172.15%

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

$48.24 €42.15

$13.59 ฿456

254.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 €56.5

$18.70 ฿628

245.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$568 €496

$60.5 ฿2,031

838.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.37 €39.64

$16.98 ฿570

167.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.12 €12.34

$9.07 ฿305

55.68%

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

$2,259 €1,974

$706 ฿23.7K

219.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$46.2K €40.3K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

192.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$173 €151

$58.6 ฿1,965

195.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.9 €61.1

$35.36 ฿1,187

97.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$197 €172

$115 ฿3,876

70.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$683 €597

$83.7 ฿2,811

715.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,462 €7,393

$626 ฿21.0K

1252.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$8,351 €7,296

$445 ฿14.9K

1776.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$43.6K €38.1K

$2,040 ฿68.5K

2037.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,968 €6,088

$1,492 ฿50.1K

366.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$73.7K €64.4K

$3,483 ฿116.9K

2015.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$55.9K €48.8K

$2,577 ฿86.5K

2069.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,008 €7,871

$500 ฿16.8K

1702.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

5.33

-39.02%

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

Last update for Monaco: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $8,462 in Monaco and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monaco pays 1702% 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: $203 in Monaco vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $497 vs $289 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 774% in total monthly costs ($10.9K vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1702% 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: $8,462 in Monaco versus $626 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 $46.00 versus $203 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 $1,250 in Phuket – a 774% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 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 774% less than in Monaco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.