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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $857 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,336 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,815 in Cabarete.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than Cabarete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Cabarete 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$6.39 DOP 374

-28.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$35.22 DOP 2,063

32.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.33 DOP 371

33.81%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.20 DOP 129

37.73%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.98 DOP 57.4

-29.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.85 DOP 49.81

-56.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.60 DOP 152

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.69 DOP 216

-0.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.93 DOP 54.5

134.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.41 DOP 82.3

34.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.47 DOP 86.3

49.66%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.64 DOP 96.3

35.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.22 DOP 423

176.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.84 DOP 283

-24.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$5.49 DOP 321

141.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$0.90 DOP 52.7

258.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.86 DOP 50.4

97.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.91 DOP 112

25.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.33 DOP 77.9

56.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.06 DOP 62.0

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.75 DOP 102

-15.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.11 DOP 65.0

-7.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.93 DOP 54.4

-44.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.35 DOP 197

26.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.68 DOP 626

75.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.37 DOP 139

-25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.69 DOP 157

2.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.69 DOP 40.53

97.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.42 DOP 200

-8.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.14 DOP 125

-51.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$5.99 DOP 351

129.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.25 DOP 73.1

7.20%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.5K DOP 1.6M

4.42%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$31.8K DOP 1.9M

6.35%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$50.5 DOP 2,957

144.88%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$24.98 DOP 1,463

-45.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$16.73 DOP 980

11.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$43.57 DOP 2,552

41.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.70 DOP 393

36.42%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$264 DOP 15.4K

166.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,042 DOP 471.1K

97.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$59.5 DOP 3,484

-0.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$51.2 DOP 3,001

-31.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$94.9 DOP 5,562

21.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$116 DOP 6,823

-27.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$875 DOP 51.2K

-29.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$255 DOP 14.9K

69.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$601 DOP 35.2K

242.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$372 DOP 21.8K

306.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$305 DOP 17.9K

760.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $875 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Cabarete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 47% 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 $1,892 in Phuket and $1,286 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: $619 in Phuket versus $875 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $264 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 $35.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $857 in Cabarete versus $1,261 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 $857 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 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.