Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cabarete Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cabarete

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $884 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,347 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,810 in Cabarete.

Living in Phuket is roughly 39% more expensive than Cabarete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cabarete 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.25 DOP 369

-25.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$36.25 DOP 2,142

29.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.19 DOP 366

42.81%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.26 DOP 133

32.74%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.04 DOP 61.4

-28.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.83 DOP 48.82

-55.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.51 DOP 148

-2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.70 DOP 219

-2.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.91 DOP 53.6

148.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.36 DOP 80.5

35.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.51 DOP 89.4

48.34%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.65 DOP 97.7

40.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.95 DOP 410

183.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.59 DOP 271

-20.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$5.52 DOP 326

137.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$0.92 DOP 54.1

268.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.87 DOP 51.1

88.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.93 DOP 114

24.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.33 DOP 78.8

52.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.07 DOP 63.5

45.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.77 DOP 104

-15.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.11 DOP 65.4

-8.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.95 DOP 56.2

-48.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.35 DOP 198

32.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.73 DOP 693

60.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.37 DOP 140

-24.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.75 DOP 162

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.70 DOP 41.15

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.30 DOP 195

-5.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.13 DOP 126

-53.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.84 DOP 345

141.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.29 DOP 76.1

4.65%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.8K DOP 1.6M

1.50%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.6K DOP 1.9M

4.22%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$51.7 DOP 3,055

141.74%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$25.48 DOP 1,505

-46.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$16.70 DOP 987

10.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$43.36 DOP 2,562

41.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.94 DOP 410

32.42%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$269 DOP 15.9K

159.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$8,153 DOP 481.8K

91.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$60.2 DOP 3,557

-4.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$50.6 DOP 2,992

-30.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$95.0 DOP 5,615

19.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$117 DOP 6,885

-25.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$874 DOP 51.6K

-29.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$260 DOP 15.3K

71.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$601 DOP 35.5K

240.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$369 DOP 21.8K

304.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$307 DOP 18.1K

762.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.9

-58.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $874 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Cabarete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $183 per month, with Cabarete cheaper across the board.

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 Cabarete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabarete wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cabarete the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,326 in Cabarete 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: $616 in Phuket versus $874 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $269 in Cabarete. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cabarete – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $884 in Cabarete versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cabarete but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cabarete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cabarete delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $884 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cabarete hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cabarete 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 Cabarete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.