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: $1,383 in Monrovia versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,463 in Monrovia versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,543 in Monrovia versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Monrovia is roughly 10% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monrovia is 3% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 LRD 1,324

$4.56 ฿149

60.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 LRD 27.6K

$46.63 ฿1,519

226.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 LRD 2,007

$8.47 ฿276

30.70%

Cappuccino

$3.32 LRD 601

$3.03 ฿98.6

9.57%

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

$1.97 LRD 357

$0.69 ฿22.45

185.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 LRD 477

$0.37 ฿11.92

610.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 LRD 487

$2.49 ฿81.0

8.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LRD 547

$3.66 ฿119

-17.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 LRD 389

$2.18 ฿71.0

-1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 LRD 331

$1.90 ฿62.0

-3.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.27 LRD 955

$2.20 ฿71.6

139.55%

Eggs

$3.57 LRD 647

$2.22 ฿72.4

60.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.86 LRD 2,151

$19.99 ฿651

-40.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.94 LRD 2,165

$3.66 ฿119

226.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.73 LRD 6,480

$13.25 ฿432

169.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 LRD 301

$3.23 ฿105

-48.61%

Banana (1kg)

$8.49 LRD 1,541

$1.70 ฿55.3

399.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.23 LRD 1,856

$2.39 ฿78.0

328.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$11.16 LRD 2,023

$2.08 ฿67.7

436.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 LRD 405

$1.59 ฿51.8

40.25%

Onion (1kg)

$10.60 LRD 1,922

$1.48 ฿48.31

616.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.58 LRD 830

$1.03 ฿33.54

344.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 LRD 357

$0.52 ฿16.83

278.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 LRD 889

$4.25 ฿138

15.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 LRD 1,236

$18.79 ฿612

-63.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 LRD 441

$1.76 ฿57.2

38.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 LRD 604

$2.76 ฿89.8

20.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 LRD 530

$1.36 ฿44.32

114.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.78 LRD 3,586

$11.36 ฿370

74.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 LRD 495

$3.14 ฿102

-13.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 LRD 227

$1.04 ฿33.74

20.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.33 LRD 3,143

$13.77 ฿448

25.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 LRD 229

$1.34 ฿43.79

-5.97%

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

$12.5K LRD 2.3M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-54.79%

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

$14.9K LRD 2.7M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-56.05%

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

$270 LRD 49.0K

$124 ฿4,025

118.80%

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

$22.13 LRD 4,014

$13.52 ฿440

63.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.0 LRD 17.2K

$18.69 ฿609

408.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 LRD 13.7K

$61.8 ฿2,013

22.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.23 LRD 1,492

$17.25 ฿562

-52.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 LRD 1,805

$9.14 ฿298

8.86%

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

$131 LRD 23.8K

$703 ฿22.9K

-81.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$895 LRD 162.3K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-94.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.05 LRD 3,274

$59.5 ฿1,937

-69.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 LRD 6,192

$35.07 ฿1,142

-2.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.9 LRD 10.3K

$115 ฿3,754

-50.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.9 LRD 12.3K

$84.1 ฿2,737

-19.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 LRD 122.7K

$619 ฿20.1K

9.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.6 LRD 17.5K

$433 ฿14.1K

-77.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,858 LRD 336.9K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-9.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 LRD 48.2K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-82.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$713 LRD 129.3K

$507 ฿16.5K

40.59%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $676 in Monrovia and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monrovia pays 41% 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: $152 in Monrovia vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $536 vs $293 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 10% 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 41% 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: $676 in Monrovia versus $619 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 $131 in Monrovia versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,383 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 $1,261 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 10% less than in Monrovia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.