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: $1,300 in Monrovia versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,887 in Monrovia versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,474 in Monrovia versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Monrovia is roughly 6% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Monrovia 5% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.39 LRD 1,273

$4.41 ฿147

67.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 LRD 1,907

$8.93 ฿297

23.85%

Cappuccino

$3.04 LRD 524

$2.90 ฿96.4

4.83%

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

$1.94 LRD 335

$0.88 ฿29.30

120.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 LRD 351

$0.48 ฿16.01

325.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 LRD 696

$2.35 ฿78.3

71.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LRD 521

$3.72 ฿124

-18.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 LRD 370

$1.87 ฿62.1

14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 LRD 313

$1.47 ฿48.81

23.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 LRD 905

$1.55 ฿51.7

238.71%

Eggs

$3.68 LRD 634

$2.10 ฿70.0

75.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.94 LRD 1,368

$19.59 ฿652

-59.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 LRD 2,025

$3.42 ฿114

243.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 LRD 2,331

$11.38 ฿379

18.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 LRD 276

$2.98 ฿99.3

-46.31%

Banana (1kg)

$8.23 LRD 1,418

$1.68 ฿56.1

389.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.28 LRD 1,771

$2.21 ฿73.5

365.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$11.10 LRD 1,913

$2.16 ฿72.0

413.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 LRD 375

$1.52 ฿50.8

42.76%

Onion (1kg)

$10.77 LRD 1,856

$1.34 ฿44.55

703.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.76 LRD 821

$1.13 ฿37.57

321.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 LRD 342

$0.55 ฿18.19

261.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 LRD 883

$4.26 ฿142

20.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.02 LRD 1,211

$19.09 ฿635

-63.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 LRD 435

$1.78 ฿59.2

42.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 LRD 608

$2.78 ฿92.6

26.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 LRD 532

$2.23 ฿74.2

38.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.12 LRD 3,468

$22.74 ฿757

-11.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 LRD 335

$3.03 ฿101

-35.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 LRD 313

$1.02 ฿34.06

77.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.79 LRD 4,273

$3.89 ฿130

537.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 LRD 220

$1.49 ฿49.63

-14.77%

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

$19.7K LRD 3.4M

$26.6K ฿884.9K

-26.00%

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

$15.0K LRD 2.6M

$27.0K ฿899.8K

-44.34%

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

$149 LRD 25.8K

$102 ฿3,411

45.80%

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

$22.31 LRD 3,846

$11.33 ฿377

96.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$183 LRD 31.5K

$17.40 ฿579

950.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.8 LRD 10.8K

$52.1 ฿1,734

20.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.16 LRD 1,751

$11.07 ฿369

-8.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 LRD 838

$7.69 ฿256

-36.80%

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

$101 LRD 17.4K

$561 ฿18.7K

-81.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,018 LRD 175.5K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-91.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.62 LRD 4,243

$63.0 ฿2,098

-60.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 LRD 5,562

$29.52 ฿983

9.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.5 LRD 9,393

$98.0 ฿3,263

-44.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 LRD 16.2K

$88.5 ฿2,946

5.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 LRD 43.9K

$738 ฿24.6K

-65.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.3 LRD 16.6K

$482 ฿16.1K

-80.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 LRD 112.5K

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-69.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 LRD 46.4K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-78.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$686 LRD 118.3K

$494 ฿16.4K

39.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Monrovia: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $255 in Monrovia and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monrovia pays 39% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 6% 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.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Monrovia, 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: $255 in Monrovia versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $101 in Monrovia versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 13% less than in Monrovia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,300 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 6% less than in Monrovia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.