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: $764 in Monteria versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,174 in Monteria versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,584 in Monteria versus $3,248 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 43% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 COP 15.8K

$4.48 ฿150

10.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.72 COP 101.2K

$45.59 ฿1,525

-30.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 23.7K

$8.76 ฿293

-15.30%

Cappuccino

$1.78 COP 5,665

$2.97 ฿99.3

-40.07%

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

$0.87 COP 2,773

$0.69 ฿22.96

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 COP 1,935

$0.39 ฿13.07

56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 COP 4,359

$2.53 ฿84.7

-45.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 COP 6,125

$3.75 ฿125

-48.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 COP 2,955

$2.15 ฿71.8

-56.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,028

$1.82 ฿60.7

-30.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,245

$2.18 ฿73.1

-53.21%

Eggs

$1.49 COP 4,746

$2.25 ฿75.2

-33.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.55 COP 14.5K

$20.00 ฿669

-77.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.85 COP 9,083

$3.63 ฿121

-21.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.84 COP 12.3K

$13.56 ฿453

-71.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 COP 6,232

$3.24 ฿109

-39.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.46 COP 1,464

$1.64 ฿54.7

-71.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 COP 2,944

$2.33 ฿78.0

-60.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 COP 2,628

$2.07 ฿69.3

-60.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 COP 2,892

$1.55 ฿51.8

-41.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,243

$1.46 ฿48.67

-30.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 COP 2,729

$0.98 ฿32.94

-12.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 COP 1,602

$0.48 ฿16.13

4.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 COP 9,150

$4.35 ฿146

-34.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.02 COP 35.1K

$18.57 ฿621

-40.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,909

$1.86 ฿62.1

-51.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,209

$2.65 ฿88.8

-50.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 COP 2,201

$1.42 ฿47.40

-51.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.78 COP 95.0K

$11.57 ฿387

157.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 COP 6,009

$3.17 ฿106

-40.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.84 COP 9,065

$1.03 ฿34.51

175.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 COP 14.1K

$13.89 ฿465

-68.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,014

$1.34 ฿44.96

-29.85%

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

$13.9K COP 44.3M

$27.8K ฿929.6K

-50.08%

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

$22.2K COP 70.7M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-33.59%

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

$96.0 COP 306.2K

$123 ฿4,116

-22.00%

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

$7.35 COP 23.5K

$13.77 ฿461

-46.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 COP 62.3K

$18.33 ฿613

6.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.27 COP 74.2K

$60.7 ฿2,030

-61.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.81 COP 31.3K

$17.16 ฿574

-42.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.81 COP 12.2K

$8.87 ฿297

-57.05%

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

$170 COP 541.0K

$688 ฿23.0K

-75.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,847 COP 5.9M

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-88.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 COP 196.8K

$59.3 ฿1,984

4.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 COP 61.8K

$34.69 ฿1,160

-44.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.8 COP 190.8K

$115 ฿3,853

-48.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.20 COP 115.5K

$83.8 ฿2,802

-56.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 COP 884.5K

$621 ฿20.8K

-55.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 COP 764.2K

$446 ฿14.9K

-46.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 COP 1.7M

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-74.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 COP 1.4M

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-70.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,582 COP 5.0M

$3,455 ฿115.6K

-54.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,388 COP 4.4M

$2,531 ฿84.7K

-45.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$403 COP 1.3M

$494 ฿16.5K

-18.33%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $277 in Monteria and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 22% 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: $32.00 in Monteria vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $135 vs $291 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 66% 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, salaries run 22% lower in Phuket. 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: $277 in Monteria versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $170 in Monteria versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 115% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $764 in Monteria versus $1,264 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 $764 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 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.