Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Monteria

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,358 in Monteria, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. The total is higher in Monteria despite lower rent and utilities.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Monteria
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Monteria Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monteria

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,358

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Monteria

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Monteria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,358 in Monteria.

Phuket $1,294
Monteria $1,358

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $2,064 in Monteria.

Phuket $2,204
Monteria $2,064

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $2,770 in Monteria.

Phuket $3,115
Monteria $2,770

Living in Phuket costs roughly 5% less than in Monteria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$5.66 COP 18.3K

-22.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$47.00 COP 151.7K

-31.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$10.08 COP 32.5K

-13.69%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$2.66 COP 8,600

2.26%

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

$2.56 COP 8,261

-63.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$2.33 COP 7,537

-78.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$3.35 COP 10.8K

-24.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$5.11 COP 16.5K

-28.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.84 COP 5,949

-5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

$2.90 COP 9,358

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.48 COP 4,782

1.35%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$4.85 COP 15.7K

-55.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$8.11 COP 26.2K

135.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$9.96 COP 32.2K

-65.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$12.47 COP 40.3K

-12.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$3.78 COP 12.2K

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.45 COP 4,672

16.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$1.94 COP 6,275

12.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

$2.02 COP 6,527

4.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

$1.61 COP 5,193

-9.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

$1.47 COP 4,760

-6.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

$1.13 COP 3,637

-4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

$1.19 COP 3,828

-53.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$4.11 COP 13.3K

7.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$14.43 COP 46.6K

26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$1.39 COP 4,492

27.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$2.37 COP 7,666

21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

$1.07 COP 3,461

35.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

$65.2 COP 210.4K

-15.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.61 COP 5,195

-6.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

$2.09 COP 6,737

-62.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

$9.19 COP 29.7K

-58.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$1.28 COP 4,142

16.41%

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

$34.9K COP 112.6M

-22.96%

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

$34.9K COP 112.6M

-24.47%

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

$79.7 COP 257.3K

22.74%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$13.46 COP 43.5K

-16.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$27.98 COP 90.3K

-38.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$38.09 COP 123.0K

79.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$8.12 COP 26.2K

-8.50%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$634 COP 2.0M

-16.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

$5,860 COP 18.9M

220.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

$83.8 COP 270.4K

-26.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$52.0 COP 168.0K

-45.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

$137 COP 441.9K

-29.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

$99.5 COP 321.2K

-12.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$725 COP 2.3M

-0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$482 COP 1.6M

5.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$1,394 COP 4.5M

39.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$774 COP 2.5M

80.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$2,193 COP 7.1M

91.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$1,787 COP 5.8M

84.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Monteria: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Monteria

$482 35.6% 5.2% $26

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Monteria

$297 21.9% 11.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Monteria

$121 8.9% 4.1% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Monteria

$167 12.3% 36.4% $45

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Monteria

$154 11.3% 28.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Monteria

$54 4% 34.7% $29

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Monteria

$82 6% 23.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $725 in Monteria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $47 in Monteria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $297 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇴 Monteria

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

14:08 2:08 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

454,032

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Monteria 18,060 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Monteria

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 5% 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 $1,940 in Phuket and $2,037 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: $721 in Phuket versus $725 in Monteria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $634 in Monteria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Monteria. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Phuket gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.