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 $744 in Monteria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,159 in Monteria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,574 in Monteria.

Living in Phuket is roughly 66% more expensive than Monteria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Monteria 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.96 COP 17.9K

-6.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$31.80 COP 114.8K

47.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.42 COP 26.8K

19.14%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.69 COP 6,110

77.51%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.91 COP 3,272

-18.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.63 COP 2,289

-41.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.37 COP 4,936

78.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.96 COP 7,065

84.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.94 COP 3,389

140.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.29 COP 4,641

42.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.07 COP 3,855

109.35%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.42 COP 5,138

63.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.47 COP 16.1K

340.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.87 COP 10.4K

27.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$3.82 COP 13.8K

242.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.98 COP 7,148

71.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.50 COP 1,794

228.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.92 COP 3,335

161.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.79 COP 2,852

156.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.97 COP 3,502

60.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.01 COP 3,642

48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.88 COP 3,159

15.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.47 COP 1,695

4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.85 COP 10.3K

56.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.05 COP 36.3K

87.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.90 COP 3,261

97.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.31 COP 4,739

109.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.68 COP 2,466

105.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$29.85 COP 107.8K

-61.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.91 COP 6,896

63.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.87 COP 10.4K

-65.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.32 COP 15.6K

226.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.99 COP 3,578

36.36%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$14.2K COP 51.2M

91.67%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.2K COP 80.2M

48.24%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$95.6 COP 345.2K

30.72%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$7.40 COP 26.7K

83.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$19.45 COP 70.2K

-4.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$23.63 COP 85.3K

160.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$9.90 COP 35.8K

70.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.94 COP 14.2K

133.25%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$169 COP 609.8K

313.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,846 COP 6.7M

744.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$60.5 COP 218.5K

-4.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$19.73 COP 71.2K

78.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$61.3 COP 221.3K

84.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$36.71 COP 132.5K

135.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$284 COP 1.0M

117.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$237 COP 855.8K

88.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$530 COP 1.9M

286.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$424 COP 1.5M

252.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,556 COP 5.6M

142.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,362 COP 4.9M

94.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$359 COP 1.3M

46.01%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Monteria: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $284 in Monteria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 46% 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 $32.00 in Monteria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $133 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 66% 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 46% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $284 in Monteria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $169 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 $744 in Monteria versus $1,232 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 $744 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 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.