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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,280 in Monteria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,055 in Monteria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,831 in Monteria.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 4% less than in Monteria, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Monteria 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.95 COP 15.4K

-10.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$42.47 COP 131.9K

-24.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$9.93 COP 30.8K

-10.07%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$3.54 COP 11.0K

-18.08%

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

$0.88 ฿29.29

$1.89 COP 5,860

-53.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$1.81 COP 5,623

-73.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.07 COP 6,447

13.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.93 COP 15.3K

-24.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.89 COP 5,878

-1.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.78

$2.91 COP 9,046

-49.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.47 COP 4,567

5.44%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$5.02 COP 15.6K

-58.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$8.02 COP 24.9K

144.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.89 COP 30.7K

-65.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$11.76 COP 36.5K

-3.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$3.76 COP 11.7K

-20.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.38 COP 4,281

21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.81 COP 5,629

22.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.88 COP 5,850

14.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.45 COP 4,513

4.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.52

$1.55 COP 4,824

-13.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.55

$1.05 COP 3,270

7.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.18

$1.18 COP 3,653

-53.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.06 COP 12.6K

4.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$14.76 COP 45.8K

29.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.40 COP 4,346

27.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.59 COP 8,057

7.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$1.03 COP 3,188

116.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.58 COP 4,913

91.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.04

$3.85 COP 12.0K

-73.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$9.58 COP 29.8K

-59.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.60

$1.37 COP 4,244

8.76%

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

$26.6K ฿884.4K

$24.1K COP 75.0M

10.19%

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

$27.0K ฿899.3K

$35.6K COP 110.6M

-24.06%

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

$102 ฿3,409

$81.3 COP 252.7K

25.98%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$13.02 COP 40.4K

-12.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$31.71 COP 98.5K

-45.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,733

$39.52 COP 122.8K

31.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$8.17 COP 25.4K

-5.88%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$640 COP 2.0M

-12.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.8K

$5,997 COP 18.6M

91.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,097

$97.7 COP 303.5K

-35.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$61.2 COP 190.1K

-51.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,261

$132 COP 410.7K

-25.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,944

$104 COP 322.7K

-14.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$724 COP 2.3M

1.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$524 COP 1.6M

-7.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$1,000 COP 3.1M

110.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$901 COP 2.8M

36.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$1,748 COP 5.4M

106.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.6K

$1,675 COP 5.2M

55.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-62.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Monteria: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $724 in Monteria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Monteria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $294 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 Monteria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Monteria. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,919 in Monteria to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $724 in Monteria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $640 in Monteria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $42.00 in Monteria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,280 in Monteria, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Monteria. 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 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Monteria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.