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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,379 in Monrovia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $2,417 in Monrovia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $3,455 in Monrovia.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 11% less than in Monrovia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Monrovia is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$7.34 LRD 1,330

-38.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$148 LRD 26.8K

-68.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$11.01 LRD 1,996

-22.89%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.34 LRD 606

-7.78%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$2.04 LRD 370

-66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$2.70 LRD 489

-86.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.67 LRD 484

-8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.95 LRD 535

23.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$2.14 LRD 389

2.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.83 LRD 331

-1.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$5.29 LRD 959

-57.84%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$3.55 LRD 643

-36.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$11.64 LRD 2,109

68.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$11.95 LRD 2,167

-68.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$36.09 LRD 6,541

-62.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.68 LRD 304

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$8.62 LRD 1,562

-81.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$10.15 LRD 1,839

-76.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$10.88 LRD 1,972

-81.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$2.31 LRD 418

-33.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$10.86 LRD 1,968

-86.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$4.64 LRD 841

-78.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$2.06 LRD 373

-76.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$4.94 LRD 895

-13.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$6.99 LRD 1,266

173.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.47 LRD 448

-25.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$3.34 LRD 605

-17.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$2.97 LRD 538

-52.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$20.19 LRD 3,659

-41.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$2.78 LRD 503

7.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.22 LRD 220

-13.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$17.73 LRD 3,214

-21.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.22 LRD 222

5.74%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$12.4K LRD 2.3M

125.57%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$15.0K LRD 2.7M

123.82%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$272 LRD 49.3K

-55.14%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$22.70 LRD 4,114

-38.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$93.1 LRD 16.9K

-79.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$76.2 LRD 13.8K

-19.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$8.22 LRD 1,490

104.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$9.66 LRD 1,750

-7.97%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$130 LRD 23.5K

433.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$905 LRD 164.1K

1684.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$18.18 LRD 3,295

217.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$33.87 LRD 6,139

4.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$56.6 LRD 10.3K

100.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$69.8 LRD 12.6K

18.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$677 LRD 122.7K

-10.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$95.1 LRD 17.2K

370.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$1,806 LRD 327.4K

12.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$265 LRD 48.0K

464.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$713 LRD 129.3K

-29.23%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Monrovia: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $677 in Monrovia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monrovia pays 41% 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 $148 in Monrovia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $538 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 41% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $677 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 72% less than in Monrovia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $130 in Monrovia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,379 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 $1,223 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.