Well, I have equipped my monk twice now. The first set I used got me through Act 2 Solo, and it cost like 2 million at the most. I just made sure all my items had the following:
Dex - 50
Vit - 50
single res - 20
all res - 20
+ Armor
You can get belts, armor, helm, bracers etc etc that all look like this for like 50 - 100k each. Just make sure that EVERY single item you wear has added Armor, and Single res + all res. It's dirt cheap, and it keeps you alive.
When you build up some wealth, you'll want to make sure all your items have 100+ in Dex and Vit, and 40+ in single res and all res, and of course, always + Armor.
When you're STUPID rich, you can start buying things like LOH amulets, Ias / dex / LOH rings, weapons with a socket, ias, and LOH, etc etc....