Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monticello, AR and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,407 in Monticello, AR, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Monticello, AR
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Monticello, AR Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Monticello, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,407

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monticello, AR and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Monticello, AR and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,407 per month in Monticello, AR vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Monticello, AR $2,407
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $3,453 per month in Monticello, AR vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Monticello, AR $3,453
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $4,499 per month in Monticello, AR vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Monticello, AR $4,499
Phuket $2,845

Monticello, AR costs about 99% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Monticello, AR sits 78% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 $18.26

$4.40 ฿147

315.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 $74.9

$32.26 ฿1,078

132.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 $12.03

$8.76 ฿293

37.33%

Cappuccino

$5.50 $5.50

$2.83 ฿94.5

94.35%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$0.90 ฿30.14

161.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.47 ฿15.56

334.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 $7.13

$2.55 ฿85.2

179.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 $8.09

$3.83 ฿128

111.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.73 ฿57.7

-47.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.47 ฿49.11

-18.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.51 ฿50.6

37.75%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$2.17 ฿72.7

70.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$19.70 ฿658

-54.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.34 ฿112

100.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$11.16 ฿373

-20.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.85 ฿95.1

18.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.70 ฿56.9

-24.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.19 ฿73.3

22.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.05 ฿68.4

5.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.45 ฿48.57

124.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.38 ฿46.16

67.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.07 ฿35.69

71.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.51 ฿16.91

337.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 $9.47

$4.26 ฿142

122.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 $12.74

$18.58 ฿621

-31.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.78 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.85 ฿95.2

-43.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.26 ฿75.6

1.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.01 ฿101

-34.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.06 ฿35.34

31.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.32 $20.32

$3.86 ฿129

426.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.45 ฿48.45

-33.79%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

4.94%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

0.95%

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

$190 $190

$96.4 ฿3,221

97.01%

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

$40.07 $40.07

$11.04 ฿369

262.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.59 $45.59

$17.14 ฿573

165.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.43 $42.43

$52.2 ฿1,744

-18.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 $10.98

$7.81 ฿261

40.59%

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

$1,219 $1,219

$556 ฿18.6K

119.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

113.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.74 $23.74

$64.2 ฿2,146

-63.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.03 $33.03

$28.69 ฿959

15.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 $69.0

$95.4 ฿3,187

-27.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$88.0 ฿2,940

70.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$737 ฿24.6K

114.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 $1,345

$462 ฿15.5K

190.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 $2,702

$2,095 ฿70.0K

28.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 $2,132

$1,201 ฿40.1K

77.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,660 $2,660

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-23.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,221 $2,221

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-11.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

5.57

18.49%

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

Last update for Monticello, AR: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Monticello, AR

$1.3K 55.9%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 65.6% $882

Eating Out

Monticello, AR

$318 13.2%

Phuket

$121 10% 61.8% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monticello, AR

$276 11.5%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 54.8% $151

Groceries & Markets

Monticello, AR

$263 10.9%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 2.1% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Monticello, AR

$124 5.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Monticello, AR

$64 2.7%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 5.3% $3.4

Getting Around

Monticello, AR

$18 * 0.8%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 118% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,584 in Monticello, AR versus $737 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Monticello, AR versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $263 in Monticello, AR vs $269 in Phuket – so Monticello, AR wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monticello, AR

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

16:33 4:33 PM

12 h ahead of Monticello, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,414

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Monticello, AR Phuket 15,280 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Monticello, AR
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Monticello, AR vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Monticello, AR is pricier by about 99%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,611 per month in Monticello, AR and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Monticello, AR and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Monticello, AR – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Monticello, AR at $2,407. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monticello, AR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Monticello, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.