Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jarabacoa

For one person, living is cheaper in Jarabacoa: $695 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Jarabacoa
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$695
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Jarabacoa

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $695 in Jarabacoa, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Jarabacoa $695

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,144 in Jarabacoa, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Jarabacoa $1,144

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,593 in Jarabacoa, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Jarabacoa $1,593

Phuket costs about 84% more than Jarabacoa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Phuket and Jarabacoa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Jarabacoa 49% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Jarabacoa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$9.89 DOP 606
-54.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$48.23 DOP 2,954
-32.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$7.36 DOP 451
19.70%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$2.30 DOP 141
23.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$1.05 DOP 64.4
-17.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$0.57 DOP 35.19
-14.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$2.46 DOP 151
4.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.10 DOP 190
18.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Jarabacoa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.40 DOP 85.5
18.57%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$1.54 DOP 94.0
-5.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.60 DOP 98.2
-6.25%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$2.33 DOP 143
-10.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$7.13 DOP 437
167.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$5.43 DOP 333
-39.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$6.47 DOP 396
68.62%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$3.23 DOP 198
-9.29%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$0.79 DOP 48.30
113.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.66 DOP 163
-15.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$1.85 DOP 114
12.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.02 DOP 124
-25.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$2.17 DOP 133
-36.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$0.98 DOP 59.9
9.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.98 DOP 60.3
-46.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$5.12 DOP 314
-17.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$10.08 DOP 617
86.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$2.62 DOP 160
-30.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$2.87 DOP 176
-1.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Jarabacoa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.32 DOP 203
-9.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$2.23 DOP 137
-54.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$5.77 DOP 353
-36.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.41 DOP 86.4
4.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$29.3K DOP 1.8M
-8.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$33.7K DOP 2.1M
-20.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Jarabacoa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$92.1 DOP 5,642
4.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$31.44 DOP 1,925
-64.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$35.29 DOP 2,161
-52.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Jarabacoa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$7.32 DOP 448
2.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Jarabacoa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$244 DOP 14.9K
95.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$7,179 DOP 439.7K
56.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Jarabacoa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$45.63 DOP 2,794
36.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$46.74 DOP 2,862
-39.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$85.1 DOP 5,214
10.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$121 DOP 7,389
-28.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Jarabacoa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Jarabacoa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
13.56
-58.92%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jarabacoa: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Jarabacoa
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Jarabacoa
$219 17.8% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Jarabacoa
$159 27.6% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Jarabacoa
$134 10.1% $12
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Jarabacoa
$154 26.4% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Jarabacoa
$15 * 82.2% $68
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Jarabacoa
$14 * 79.5% $56

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 in Phuket versus $48 in Jarabacoa. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $219 in Jarabacoa – so Jarabacoa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇩🇴 Jarabacoa
🕒 Local time
04:12 4:12 AM
17:12 5:12 PM
11 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
69,855
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 61.24 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.17 DOP (100 DOP = 1.47 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Jarabacoa 16,780 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Jarabacoa

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 Jarabacoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jarabacoa cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 84%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,042 in Jarabacoa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in Jarabacoa?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $695 in Jarabacoa. That makes Jarabacoa about 46% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $244 in Jarabacoa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Jarabacoa?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jarabacoa, where all-in costs run around $695, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Jarabacoa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Jarabacoa?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $695 in Jarabacoa to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Jarabacoa?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?