Cost of Living Comparison Between Monrovia and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Monrovia and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Monrovia versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,467 in Monrovia versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,542 in Monrovia versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Monrovia is roughly 13% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monrovia is 4% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.48 LRD 1,373

$4.63 ฿151

61.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 LRD 27.3K

$46.84 ฿1,532

217.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 LRD 1,984

$8.84 ฿289

22.29%

Cappuccino

$3.34 LRD 614

$3.00 ฿98.0

11.33%

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

$2.05 LRD 376

$0.74 ฿24.25

177.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 LRD 497

$0.37 ฿11.95

632.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 LRD 509

$2.44 ฿79.8

13.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 LRD 544

$3.61 ฿118

-18.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 LRD 397

$2.26 ฿73.9

-3.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 LRD 323

$1.84 ฿60.1

-4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.09 LRD 933

$2.24 ฿73.4

127.23%

Eggs

$3.67 LRD 673

$2.32 ฿75.7

58.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 LRD 2,171

$19.67 ฿643

-39.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 LRD 2,193

$3.65 ฿119

227.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.17 LRD 6,638

$13.10 ฿428

176.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 LRD 305

$3.39 ฿111

-51.03%

Banana (1kg)

$8.24 LRD 1,512

$1.64 ฿53.7

402.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.24 LRD 1,879

$2.41 ฿79.0

324.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.92 LRD 2,005

$2.03 ฿66.4

437.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 LRD 412

$1.56 ฿50.9

43.59%

Onion (1kg)

$10.58 LRD 1,941

$1.50 ฿48.94

605.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.58 LRD 841

$1.02 ฿33.50

349.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 LRD 362

$0.49 ฿16.00

302.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 LRD 925

$4.45 ฿145

13.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 LRD 1,309

$18.88 ฿617

-62.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 LRD 469

$1.78 ฿58.1

43.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 LRD 612

$2.75 ฿90.1

21.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 LRD 535

$1.40 ฿45.81

108.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.95 LRD 3,661

$11.48 ฿376

73.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 LRD 495

$3.12 ฿102

-13.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 LRD 231

$1.00 ฿32.67

26.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.45 LRD 3,203

$14.09 ฿461

23.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 LRD 222

$1.35 ฿44.19

-10.37%

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

$12.4K LRD 2.3M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-54.28%

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

$14.8K LRD 2.7M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-55.11%

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

$273 LRD 50.1K

$125 ฿4,087

118.51%

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

$22.91 LRD 4,205

$13.57 ฿444

68.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$92.4 LRD 17.0K

$18.52 ฿606

398.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.7 LRD 14.1K

$61.5 ฿2,010

24.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.15 LRD 1,496

$16.84 ฿551

-51.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 LRD 1,814

$9.19 ฿300

7.62%

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

$128 LRD 23.5K

$698 ฿22.8K

-81.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$910 LRD 167.0K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-94.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.68 LRD 3,429

$57.8 ฿1,889

-67.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.89 LRD 6,220

$35.24 ฿1,152

-3.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.7 LRD 10.2K

$113 ฿3,699

-50.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.1 LRD 12.7K

$86.4 ฿2,825

-19.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 LRD 123.5K

$616 ฿20.1K

9.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.8 LRD 17.6K

$446 ฿14.6K

-78.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 LRD 331.7K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-11.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 LRD 49.0K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-82.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$695 LRD 127.5K

$524 ฿17.1K

32.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-6.19%

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

Last update for Monrovia: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Monrovia and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monrovia pays 33% 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: $149 in Monrovia vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $535 vs $292 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

Monrovia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Monrovia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Monrovia pays 33% 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: $673 in Monrovia versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 74% less than in Monrovia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $128 in Monrovia versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,392 in Monrovia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Monrovia. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Monrovia 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 13% less than in Monrovia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.