Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Terrenas and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Terrenas and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,106 in Las Terrenas versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,653 in Las Terrenas versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Las Terrenas versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Las Terrenas costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Las Terrenas 18% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.72 DOP 394

$4.56 ฿149

47.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 DOP 2,811

$46.63 ฿1,519

2.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 DOP 423

$8.47 ฿276

-14.76%

Cappuccino

$2.04 DOP 120

$3.03 ฿98.6

-32.67%

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

$1.00 DOP 58.5

$0.69 ฿22.45

44.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 DOP 49.34

$0.37 ฿11.92

127.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 DOP 147

$2.49 ฿81.0

0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 DOP 290

$3.66 ฿119

35.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 DOP 72.3

$2.18 ฿71.0

-43.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 DOP 81.3

$1.90 ฿62.0

-26.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 DOP 68.8

$2.20 ฿71.6

-46.82%

Eggs

$1.65 DOP 96.7

$2.22 ฿72.4

-25.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.95 DOP 407

$19.99 ฿651

-65.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 DOP 378

$3.66 ฿119

76.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 DOP 635

$13.25 ฿432

-18.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 DOP 146

$3.23 ฿105

-22.60%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 DOP 49.83

$1.70 ฿55.3

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 DOP 68.2

$2.39 ฿78.0

-51.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 DOP 68.4

$2.08 ฿67.7

-43.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 DOP 70.6

$1.59 ฿51.8

-23.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 DOP 138

$1.48 ฿48.31

58.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 DOP 51.0

$1.03 ฿33.54

-15.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 DOP 28.38

$0.52 ฿16.83

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.97 DOP 291

$4.25 ฿138

16.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.02 DOP 997

$18.79 ฿612

-9.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 DOP 141

$1.76 ฿57.2

36.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 DOP 138

$2.76 ฿89.8

-14.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 DOP 100

$1.36 ฿44.32

25.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 DOP 197

$3.14 ฿102

7.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 DOP 130

$1.04 ฿33.74

113.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 DOP 350

$13.77 ฿448

-56.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 DOP 76.5

$1.34 ฿43.79

-2.24%

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

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-5.28%

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

$31.1K DOP 1.8M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-8.11%

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

$75.0 DOP 4,392

$124 ฿4,025

-39.34%

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

$23.36 DOP 1,368

$13.52 ฿440

72.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.70 DOP 2,091

$18.69 ฿609

91.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.37 DOP 1,252

$61.8 ฿2,013

-65.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 DOP 1,011

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 DOP 389

$9.14 ฿298

-27.35%

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

$85.6 DOP 5,015

$703 ฿22.9K

-87.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,650 DOP 272.4K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-70.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.39 DOP 2,483

$59.5 ฿1,937

-28.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.95 DOP 2,516

$35.07 ฿1,142

22.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 DOP 4,196

$115 ฿3,754

-37.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 DOP 5,028

$84.1 ฿2,737

2.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 DOP 44.9K

$619 ฿20.1K

23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 DOP 26.4K

$433 ฿14.1K

4.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 DOP 86.1K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-28.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 DOP 39.0K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-55.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.9

5.33

142.03%

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

Last update for Las Terrenas: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $767 in Las Terrenas and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Las Terrenas vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $220 vs $293, with Las Terrenas cheaper for home cooking.

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

Las Terrenas vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Terrenas wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Las Terrenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,659 in Las Terrenas and $1,892 in Phuket 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: $767 in Las Terrenas versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $85.6 in Las Terrenas versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Las Terrenas – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,106 in Las Terrenas versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Las Terrenas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Las Terrenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Las Terrenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,106 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Las Terrenas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Las Terrenas and Phuket 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 Las Terrenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.