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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,127 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,663 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,200 in Las Terrenas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than Las Terrenas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Las Terrenas 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$6.46 DOP 376

-30.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$47.91 DOP 2,792

-2.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$7.16 DOP 418

18.58%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.08 DOP 121

48.08%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.03 DOP 60.0

-33.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.80 DOP 46.52

-55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.57 DOP 150

-5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$5.22 DOP 304

-30.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.29 DOP 75.3

69.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.38 DOP 80.7

31.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.18 DOP 68.7

88.98%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.68 DOP 98.1

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$7.09 DOP 413

176.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$6.13 DOP 357

-39.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$10.97 DOP 639

22.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.61 DOP 152

28.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$0.91 DOP 53.0

78.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.20 DOP 70.2

100.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.22 DOP 71.3

63.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.21 DOP 70.5

26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$2.37 DOP 138

-38.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.83 DOP 48.12

21.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.53 DOP 31.08

-9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$5.21 DOP 304

-18.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$17.34 DOP 1,011

10.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.42 DOP 141

-23.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.45 DOP 143

11.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$1.74 DOP 101

-18.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$3.43 DOP 200

-12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$2.10 DOP 123

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$6.11 DOP 356

127.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.30 DOP 75.7

-0.77%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$26.9K DOP 1.6M

4.13%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$31.1K DOP 1.8M

7.62%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$77.8 DOP 4,535

56.75%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$22.59 DOP 1,316

-38.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$35.39 DOP 2,062

-46.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$21.51 DOP 1,253

184.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$17.06 DOP 994

-1.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$6.62 DOP 386

34.29%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$84.8 DOP 4,942

715.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$4,666 DOP 271.9K

246.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$42.28 DOP 2,464

36.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$42.90 DOP 2,500

-17.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$69.9 DOP 4,074

62.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$84.4 DOP 4,918

-1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$769 DOP 44.8K

-21.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$467 DOP 27.2K

-4.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$1,439 DOP 83.8K

41.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$667 DOP 38.9K

123.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

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 13, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $769 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $48.00 in Las Terrenas. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $222, 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 9% 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 $1,835 in Phuket and $1,690 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: $607 in Phuket versus $769 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $84.8 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 $48.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,127 in Las Terrenas versus $1,223 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 $1,127 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.