Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Monrovia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Monrovia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,381 in Monrovia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,415 in Monrovia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $3,449 in Monrovia.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 8% less than in Monrovia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Monrovia is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$7.64 LRD 1,378

-41.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$151 LRD 27.3K

-69.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$11.17 LRD 2,014

-21.58%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.41 LRD 614

-12.90%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.98 LRD 358

-65.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.75 LRD 496

-85.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.70 LRD 486

-6.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.06 LRD 552

22.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.15 LRD 387

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.74 LRD 314

4.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$5.08 LRD 917

-57.09%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$3.64 LRD 656

-38.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$11.64 LRD 2,100

71.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$12.05 LRD 2,174

-69.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$35.72 LRD 6,443

-62.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.69 LRD 304

91.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$8.64 LRD 1,559

-81.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$10.32 LRD 1,861

-77.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$10.95 LRD 1,974

-81.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.32 LRD 419

-33.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$10.76 LRD 1,940

-86.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$4.73 LRD 853

-79.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.96 LRD 354

-75.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.91 LRD 885

-11.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.05 LRD 1,271

163.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.46 LRD 444

-24.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.29 LRD 592

-19.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$2.96 LRD 534

-52.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$19.84 LRD 3,579

-41.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.69 LRD 485

17.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.27 LRD 229

-18.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$17.38 LRD 3,134

-20.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.26 LRD 228

6.35%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$12.4K LRD 2.2M

124.91%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$14.9K LRD 2.7M

123.55%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$270 LRD 48.7K

-54.44%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$22.42 LRD 4,044

-38.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$91.6 LRD 16.5K

-79.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$76.4 LRD 13.8K

-20.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$8.17 LRD 1,474

110.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$9.82 LRD 1,772

-9.67%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$130 LRD 23.4K

429.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$904 LRD 163.0K

1645.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$18.08 LRD 3,260

227.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$34.28 LRD 6,183

1.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$56.7 LRD 10.2K

103.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$69.8 LRD 12.6K

19.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$678 LRD 122.2K

-8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$93.7 LRD 16.9K

376.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,826 LRD 329.3K

11.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$262 LRD 47.3K

470.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$693 LRD 125.0K

-28.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Monrovia: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $678 in Monrovia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monrovia pays 40% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $151 in Monrovia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $536 per month, with Phuket 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

Phuket vs Monrovia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 9% 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.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Monrovia. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $678 in Monrovia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 71% less than in Monrovia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $130 in Monrovia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,381 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 $1,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Monrovia 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 9% less than in Monrovia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.