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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,392 in Monrovia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,467 in Monrovia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,542 in Monrovia.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 12% less than in Monrovia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Monrovia is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.48 LRD 1,373

-38.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$149 LRD 27.3K

-68.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$10.81 LRD 1,984

-18.22%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.34 LRD 614

-10.18%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.05 LRD 376

-63.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.71 LRD 497

-86.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.77 LRD 509

-11.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.96 LRD 544

21.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.17 LRD 397

4.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.76 LRD 323

4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$5.09 LRD 933

-55.99%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.67 LRD 673

-36.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$11.83 LRD 2,171

66.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$11.95 LRD 2,193

-69.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$36.17 LRD 6,638

-63.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.66 LRD 305

104.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$8.24 LRD 1,512

-80.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$10.24 LRD 1,879

-76.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$10.92 LRD 2,005

-81.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.24 LRD 412

-30.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$10.58 LRD 1,941

-85.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$4.58 LRD 841

-77.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.97 LRD 362

-75.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.04 LRD 925

-11.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.13 LRD 1,309

164.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.56 LRD 469

-30.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.33 LRD 612

-17.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$2.92 LRD 535

-52.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$19.95 LRD 3,661

-42.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.70 LRD 495

15.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.26 LRD 231

-20.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$17.45 LRD 3,203

-19.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.21 LRD 222

11.57%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$12.4K LRD 2.3M

118.74%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$14.8K LRD 2.7M

122.75%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$273 LRD 50.1K

-54.23%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$22.91 LRD 4,205

-40.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$92.4 LRD 17.0K

-79.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$76.7 LRD 14.1K

-19.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$8.15 LRD 1,496

106.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$9.89 LRD 1,814

-7.08%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$128 LRD 23.5K

444.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$910 LRD 167.0K

1613.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$18.68 LRD 3,429

209.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$33.89 LRD 6,220

3.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$55.7 LRD 10.2K

103.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$69.1 LRD 12.7K

24.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$673 LRD 123.5K

-8.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$95.8 LRD 17.6K

365.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,808 LRD 331.7K

13.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$267 LRD 49.0K

458.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$695 LRD 127.5K

-24.58%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Monrovia: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $673 in Monrovia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monrovia pays 33% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $149 in Monrovia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $535 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 13% 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, Monrovia earns 33% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $673 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 74% less than in Monrovia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $128 in Monrovia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,392 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 $1,232 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 13% less than in Monrovia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.