Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Boca Chica

For one person, living is cheaper in Boca Chica: $1,096 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Boca Chica
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Boca Chica Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Boca Chica

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$1,096

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Boca Chica

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 Boca Chica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,096 in Boca Chica, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Boca Chica $1,096

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,281 in Boca Chica, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Boca Chica $1,281

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,466 in Boca Chica, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Boca Chica $1,466

Phuket costs about 10% more than Boca Chica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Boca Chica are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Boca Chica 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$8.32 DOP 510

-44.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$41.47 DOP 2,540

-21.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$7.09 DOP 434

20.59%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.79 DOP 110

51.96%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.66 DOP 40.41

42.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.37 DOP 22.81

32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.44 DOP 149

6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.87 DOP 237

-1.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.21 DOP 73.9

43.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.71 DOP 105

-16.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.55 DOP 95.0

-1.29%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.44 DOP 88.2

50.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$6.20 DOP 380

208.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$3.61 DOP 221

-8.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$4.78 DOP 293

133.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.68 DOP 225

-19.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.38 DOP 84.7

21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$3.24 DOP 198

-29.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$2.22 DOP 136

-4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$3.52 DOP 216

-56.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$2.86 DOP 175

-52.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.88 DOP 53.8

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.58 DOP 96.8

-65.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.78 DOP 293

-10.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$8.27 DOP 507

119.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$3.00 DOP 184

-42.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$3.48 DOP 213

-19.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$1.61 DOP 98.3

37.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.52 DOP 154

15.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$3.26 DOP 199

-69.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.36 DOP 83.4

9.56%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$14.8K DOP 905.3K

80.53%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$25.0K DOP 1.5M

6.77%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$94.8 DOP 5,809

4.80%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$15.01 DOP 919

-24.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$16.29 DOP 998

6.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$41.47 DOP 2,541

26.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$4.83 DOP 296

56.73%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$149 DOP 9,128

274.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$5,432 DOP 332.7K

111.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$25.88 DOP 1,585

142.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$45.95 DOP 2,815

-37.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$62.3 DOP 3,818

54.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$65.4 DOP 4,003

34.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$450 DOP 27.6K

2.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Boca Chica: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Boca Chica

$450 41.1% 2.2% $10

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Boca Chica

$220 20.1% 17.7% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Boca Chica

$126 11.5% 1.5% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Boca Chica

$90 8.2% 27.6% $34

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Boca Chica

$133 12.2% 10% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Boca Chica

$51 4.7% 24.2% $16

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Boca Chica

$25 * 2.3% 35.2% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $41.00 in Boca Chica. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $220 in Boca Chica – so Boca Chica wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇩🇴 Boca Chica

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

15:36 3:36 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

46,300

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Boca Chica 16,800 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Boca Chica

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 Boca Chica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 10% more than Boca Chica, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,644 in Boca Chica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $1,096 in Boca Chica. That's a gap of about 10%.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $149 in Boca Chica. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Boca Chica, where all-in costs run around $1,096, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Boca Chica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Boca Chica costs $1,096 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Boca Chica. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.