Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Monteria Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Monteria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $769 in Monteria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,173 in Monteria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,578 in Monteria.

Living in Phuket is roughly 59% more expensive than Monteria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Monteria 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$4.79 COP 16.4K

-5.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$30.89 COP 105.9K

50.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$7.40 COP 25.4K

14.73%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.72 COP 5,878

79.07%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.85 COP 2,915

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.64 COP 2,203

-43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.31 COP 4,480

85.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$1.91 COP 6,562

90.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$0.92 COP 3,139

138.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.31 COP 4,501

38.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.02 COP 3,481

118.63%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.49 COP 5,099

50.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$4.55 COP 15.6K

330.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$2.83 COP 9,692

31.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$3.91 COP 13.4K

244.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.92 COP 6,570

75.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$0.50 COP 1,727

224.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.01 COP 3,466

138.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$0.79 COP 2,697

151.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.96 COP 3,296

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.00 COP 3,442

45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.82 COP 2,819

23.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.47 COP 1,596

2.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$2.75 COP 9,439

55.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$10.11 COP 34.6K

89.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$0.91 COP 3,124

102.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.31 COP 4,496

109.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.68 COP 2,316

108.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$30.16 COP 103.4K

-61.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.91 COP 6,532

57.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$2.96 COP 10.1K

-64.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$4.41 COP 15.1K

215.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$0.98 COP 3,363

31.63%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$14.1K COP 48.3M

99.01%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$22.3K COP 76.4M

50.35%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$96.2 COP 329.8K

26.79%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$7.18 COP 24.6K

94.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$19.05 COP 65.3K

-0.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$23.36 COP 80.1K

162.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$9.91 COP 34.0K

69.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$3.79 COP 13.0K

134.56%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$166 COP 570.2K

315.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$1,825 COP 6.3M

785.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$60.6 COP 207.7K

-4.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$19.29 COP 66.1K

83.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$60.1 COP 205.9K

88.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$35.81 COP 122.7K

131.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$287 COP 984.1K

111.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$236 COP 810.5K

89.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$525 COP 1.8M

286.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$431 COP 1.5M

246.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,747 COP 6.0M

105.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,281 COP 4.4M

101.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$375 COP 1.3M

34.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-46.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Monteria: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $287 in Monteria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 35% 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 $31.00 in Monteria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $134 per month, with Monteria 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 Monteria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monteria wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monteria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 35% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $287 in Monteria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $166 in Monteria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 119% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $769 in Monteria versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monteria but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Monteria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monteria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $769 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monteria hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Monteria 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 Monteria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.