Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Liberia

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,621 in Liberia, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Liberia
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Liberia Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Liberia

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Liberia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,621 in Liberia.

Phuket $1,207
Liberia $1,621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $2,267 in Liberia.

Phuket $2,037
Liberia $2,267

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $2,914 in Liberia.

Phuket $2,867
Liberia $2,914

Living in Phuket costs roughly 26% less than in Liberia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Liberia is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿154

$10.81 ₡4,858

-57.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,091

$37.83 ₡17.0K

-14.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿287

$10.88 ₡4,889

-21.42%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$3.54 ₡1,591

-23.16%

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

$0.94 ฿31.41

$1.99 ₡894

-52.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.48

$1.61 ₡723

-69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿87.0

$2.67 ₡1,198

-3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿129

$4.39 ₡1,974

-12.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$2.43 ₡1,090

-28.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿48.07

$3.13 ₡1,406

-54.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$2.29 ₡1,030

-33.19%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.1

$3.42 ₡1,535

-36.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿643

$7.88 ₡3,539

143.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.86 ₡3,534

-58.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$12.42 ₡5,580

-10.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿99.0

$5.15 ₡2,315

-42.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.4

$1.55 ₡698

8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.2

$2.52 ₡1,133

-8.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.6

$3.24 ₡1,454

-34.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.4

$3.91 ₡1,755

-60.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.78

$2.61 ₡1,171

-47.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.63

$1.08 ₡484

3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.33

$2.15 ₡966

-74.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿143

$4.94 ₡2,221

-13.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿611

$15.49 ₡6,960

17.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$2.31 ₡1,036

-24.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.8

$3.55 ₡1,596

-21.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.4

$1.11 ₡500

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿741

$54.5 ₡24.5K

-59.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.8

$2.46 ₡1,105

18.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.97

$1.56 ₡699

-35.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿129

$8.64 ₡3,882

-55.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.1

$1.57 ₡705

-5.10%

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

$26.7K ฿896.2K

$22.3K ₡10.0M

19.69%

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

$26.7K ฿897.2K

$35.0K ₡15.7M

-23.75%

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

$99.4 ฿3,338

$94.3 ₡42.4K

5.40%

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

$11.28 ฿379

$30.81 ₡13.8K

-63.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿583

$39.82 ₡17.9K

-56.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,756

$49.26 ₡22.1K

6.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿364

$34.92 ₡15.7K

-68.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿254

$7.54 ₡3,389

0.40%

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

$558 ฿18.8K

$1,002 ₡450.1K

-44.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿385.9K

$17.0K ₡7.6M

-32.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,112

$66.2 ₡29.7K

-4.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿960

$36.81 ₡16.5K

-22.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,229

$130 ₡58.4K

-26.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,958

$92.6 ₡41.6K

-4.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.5K

$794 ₡356.8K

-8.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.5K

$641 ₡288.1K

-28.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.4K

$926 ₡416.0K

126.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿41.1K

$739 ₡331.9K

65.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿116.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.6K

$886 ₡398.3K

-44.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.62

-35.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Liberia: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Liberia

$641 39.6% 39.4% $181

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Liberia

$337 20.8% 25.8% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Liberia

$165 10.2% 28.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Liberia

$147 9% 18.1% $22

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Liberia

$198 12.2% 63.3% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Liberia

$64 4% 4.6% $3.1

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Liberia

$69 4.3% 78% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $794 in Liberia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Liberia pays 80% 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 Phuket vs $38.00 in Liberia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $337 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇷 Liberia

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

04:24 4:24 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

46,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Liberia 17,910 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Liberia

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

Phuket vs Liberia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Liberia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Liberia. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $794 in Liberia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $38.00 in Liberia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $1,621 in Liberia – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,621 in Liberia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Liberia. 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 $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Liberia 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 34% less than in Liberia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.