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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,166 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,488 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,810 in Las Terrenas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than in Las Terrenas, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Las Terrenas 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.54 DOP 503

-48.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$41.99 DOP 2,475

-23.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.16 DOP 422

24.72%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$1.89 DOP 111

53.44%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.74 DOP 43.57

18.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.41 DOP 24.18

17.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.51 DOP 148

-6.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.01 DOP 236

-7.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.23 DOP 72.5

52.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.76 DOP 104

-16.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.52 DOP 89.8

1.97%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.49 DOP 87.7

40.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$6.32 DOP 372

209.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.74 DOP 220

-8.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$4.81 DOP 283

136.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$3.70 DOP 218

-19.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.43 DOP 84.3

17.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$3.29 DOP 194

-32.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$2.21 DOP 131

-2.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$3.54 DOP 208

-57.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$3.07 DOP 181

-56.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.96 DOP 56.5

17.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$1.65 DOP 97.1

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.77 DOP 281

-10.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$16.62 DOP 980

14.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.98 DOP 176

-40.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$3.46 DOP 204

-19.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.60 DOP 153

16.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$3.42 DOP 202

-70.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.33 DOP 78.5

12.03%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$15.5K DOP 910.7K

72.01%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$25.5K DOP 1.5M

5.88%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$95.5 DOP 5,627

7.32%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$27.82 DOP 1,639

-59.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$39.34 DOP 2,318

-55.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.95 DOP 292

55.35%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$153 DOP 9,038

265.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$5,479 DOP 322.9K

109.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$27.48 DOP 1,620

129.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$46.19 DOP 2,722

-36.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$63.3 DOP 3,731

54.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$68.6 DOP 4,042

29.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$1,004 DOP 59.2K

-26.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$509 DOP 30.0K

-5.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$2,061 DOP 121.5K

2.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$2,383 DOP 140.4K

-48.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,004 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Las Terrenas. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $241, 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

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

Las Terrenas wins on cost – living expenses run 6% 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 $1,847 in Phuket and $1,748 in Las Terrenas 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: $738 in Phuket versus $1,004 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $153 in Las Terrenas. 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 $42.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,166 in Las Terrenas versus $1,232 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 $1,166 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Las Terrenas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Las Terrenas 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 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.