Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and West Monroe, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,628 in West Monroe, LA, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in West Monroe, LA
Learn more

West Monroe, LA Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

West Monroe, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in West Monroe, LA

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 West Monroe, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,628 in West Monroe, LA.

Phuket $1,208
West Monroe, LA $2,628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $3,851 in West Monroe, LA.

Phuket $2,027
West Monroe, LA $3,851

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $5,073 in West Monroe, LA.

Phuket $2,845
West Monroe, LA $5,073

Living in Phuket costs roughly 54% less than in West Monroe, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, West Monroe, LA is 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$17.14 $17.14

-74.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$75.9 $75.9

-57.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$10.79 $10.79

-18.81%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$5.11 $5.11

-44.62%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$2.45 $2.45

-63.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$2.36 $2.36

-80.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$4.90 $4.90

-47.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.18 $4.18

-8.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.10 $1.10

57.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$2.78 $2.78

-47.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$2.75 $2.75

-45.09%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.55 $3.55

-38.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$10.23 $10.23

92.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$11.84 $11.84

-71.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$18.61 $18.61

-40.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.75 $2.75

3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.46 $1.46

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$3.25 $3.25

-32.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.33 $1.33

54.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$2.14 $2.14

-32.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.34 $1.34

2.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.92 $1.92

-44.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$1.91 $1.91

-73.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$7.96 $7.96

-46.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$13.53 $13.53

37.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.73 $1.73

2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.74 $1.74

63.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$2.02 $2.02

11.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$2.43 $2.43

23.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.52 $1.52

-30.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$24.27 $24.27

-84.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.97 $0.97

49.48%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.35%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$26.5K $26.5K

1.82%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$220 $220

-56.21%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$60.4 $60.4

-81.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$68.3 $68.3

-74.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$43.69 $43.69

19.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$12.94 $12.94

-39.64%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$1,020 $1,020

-45.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$19.1K $19.1K

-39.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$50.9 $50.9

26.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$38.37 $38.37

-25.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$83.3 $83.3

14.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$148 $148

-40.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$1,807 $1,807

-59.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$1,433 $1,433

-67.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$2,372 $2,372

-11.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$2,457 $2,457

-51.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,560 $2,560

36.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,482 $2,482

1.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for West Monroe, LA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

West Monroe, LA

$1.4K 54.5% 210% $971

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

West Monroe, LA

$331 12.6% 23.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

West Monroe, LA

$349 13.3% 180% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

West Monroe, LA

$144 5.5% 16.2% $20

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

West Monroe, LA

$283 10.8% 133% $162

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

West Monroe, LA

$70 2.7% 2.6% $1.8

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

West Monroe, LA

$18 * 0.7% 54.1% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $1,807 in West Monroe, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $76.0 in West Monroe, LA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $331 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 West Monroe, LA

🕒 Local time

20:16 8:16 PM

08:16 8:16 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

13,028

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket West Monroe, LA 15,390 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
West Monroe, LA

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 West Monroe, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $3,941 in West Monroe, LA 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: $737 in Phuket versus $1,807 in West Monroe, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $1,020 in West Monroe, LA. 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 $76.0 in West Monroe, LA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,628 in West Monroe, LA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in West Monroe, LA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in West Monroe, LA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and West Monroe, LA 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 117% less than in West Monroe, LA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.