Cost of Living Comparison Between Monteria and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Monteria and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $752 in Monteria versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,162 in Monteria versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,572 in Monteria versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Monteria costs roughly 40% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Monteria 44% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.95 COP 17.3K

$4.56 ฿149

8.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.49 COP 109.9K

$46.63 ฿1,519

-32.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 COP 25.0K

$8.47 ฿276

-15.58%

Cappuccino

$1.77 COP 6,175

$3.03 ฿98.6

-41.58%

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

$0.87 COP 3,054

$0.69 ฿22.45

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,233

$0.37 ฿11.92

72.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 COP 4,533

$2.49 ฿81.0

-47.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 COP 6,879

$3.66 ฿119

-46.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 COP 3,199

$2.18 ฿71.0

-57.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 COP 4,601

$1.90 ฿62.0

-30.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,545

$2.20 ฿71.6

-53.64%

Eggs

$1.49 COP 5,202

$2.22 ฿72.4

-32.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.62 COP 16.1K

$19.99 ฿651

-76.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.87 COP 10.0K

$3.66 ฿119

-21.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.83 COP 13.4K

$13.25 ฿432

-71.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,657

$3.23 ฿105

-40.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 COP 1,637

$1.70 ฿55.3

-72.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 COP 3,499

$2.39 ฿78.0

-58.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 COP 2,725

$2.08 ฿67.7

-62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 COP 3,090

$1.59 ฿51.8

-44.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 COP 3,478

$1.48 ฿48.31

-32.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 COP 3,068

$1.03 ฿33.54

-14.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 COP 1,612

$0.52 ฿16.83

-11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 COP 9,576

$4.25 ฿138

-35.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 COP 35.1K

$18.79 ฿612

-46.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,943

$1.76 ฿57.2

-52.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 4,459

$2.76 ฿89.8

-53.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 COP 2,397

$1.36 ฿44.32

-49.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.41 COP 106.1K

$11.36 ฿370

167.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 COP 6,847

$3.14 ฿102

-37.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 COP 9,821

$1.04 ฿33.74

170.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 COP 15.0K

$13.77 ฿448

-68.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 COP 3,260

$1.34 ฿43.79

-30.60%

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

$14.0K COP 49.0M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-49.25%

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

$22.5K COP 78.5M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-33.55%

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

$95.7 COP 334.0K

$124 ฿4,025

-22.57%

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

$7.43 COP 25.9K

$13.52 ฿440

-45.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 COP 66.3K

$18.69 ฿609

1.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.46 COP 81.9K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-62.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 COP 33.9K

$17.25 ฿562

-43.65%

Cinema Ticket

$3.85 COP 13.4K

$9.14 ฿298

-57.88%

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

$168 COP 587.1K

$703 ฿22.9K

-76.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,852 COP 6.5M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-88.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 COP 207.8K

$59.5 ฿1,937

0.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.22 COP 67.1K

$35.07 ฿1,142

-45.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 COP 210.0K

$115 ฿3,754

-47.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.34 COP 126.8K

$84.1 ฿2,737

-56.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 COP 998.0K

$619 ฿20.1K

-53.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 COP 845.5K

$433 ฿14.1K

-43.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 COP 1.9M

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-74.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 COP 1.5M

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-71.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,569 COP 5.5M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-56.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,245 COP 4.3M

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-52.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$358 COP 1.2M

$507 ฿16.5K

-29.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

87.62%

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

Last update for Monteria: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $286 in Monteria and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 42% 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: $31.00 in Monteria vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $133 vs $293 per month, with Monteria 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

Monteria vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monteria wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monteria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Phuket earns 42% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $286 in Monteria versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $168 in Monteria versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 120% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $752 in Monteria versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monteria but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Monteria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monteria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $752 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monteria hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Monteria 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 Monteria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.