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 $1,300 in Monrovia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,887 in Monrovia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,474 in Monrovia.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 5% less than in Monrovia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Monrovia 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.39 LRD 1,273

-40.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$11.06 LRD 1,907

-19.26%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.04 LRD 524

-4.61%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.94 LRD 335

-54.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$2.04 LRD 351

-76.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$4.04 LRD 696

-41.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.02 LRD 521

23.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$2.15 LRD 370

-13.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.81 LRD 313

-18.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$5.25 LRD 905

-70.48%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$3.68 LRD 634

-42.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$7.94 LRD 1,368

146.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$11.75 LRD 2,025

-70.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$13.53 LRD 2,331

-15.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.60 LRD 276

86.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$8.23 LRD 1,418

-79.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$10.28 LRD 1,771

-78.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$11.10 LRD 1,913

-80.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$2.17 LRD 375

-29.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$10.77 LRD 1,856

-87.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$4.76 LRD 821

-76.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$1.99 LRD 342

-72.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.12 LRD 883

-16.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$7.02 LRD 1,211

171.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.53 LRD 435

-29.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$3.53 LRD 608

-21.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$3.09 LRD 532

-27.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$20.12 LRD 3,468

13.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.95 LRD 335

55.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$1.81 LRD 313

-43.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$24.79 LRD 4,273

-84.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.27 LRD 220

17.32%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$19.7K LRD 3.4M

35.13%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$15.0K LRD 2.6M

79.66%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$149 LRD 25.8K

-31.41%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$22.31 LRD 3,846

-49.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$183 LRD 31.5K

-90.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$62.8 LRD 10.8K

-17.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$10.16 LRD 1,751

8.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.86 LRD 838

58.23%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$101 LRD 17.4K

454.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$1,018 LRD 175.5K

1029.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$24.62 LRD 4,243

156.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$32.27 LRD 5,562

-8.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$54.5 LRD 9,393

79.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$93.8 LRD 16.2K

-5.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$255 LRD 43.9K

189.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$96.3 LRD 16.6K

401.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$653 LRD 112.5K

222.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$269 LRD 46.4K

355.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$686 LRD 118.3K

-28.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Monrovia: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $255 in Monrovia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monrovia pays 39% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 6% 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 39% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $255 in Monrovia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $101 in Monrovia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 13% less than in Monrovia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,300 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 6% less than in Monrovia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.