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 $1,097 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,645 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,194 in Las Terrenas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than Las Terrenas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Las Terrenas 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.64 DOP 392

-30.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$47.74 DOP 2,821

-1.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.23 DOP 427

22.27%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.05 DOP 121

46.34%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.03 DOP 61.0

-28.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.79 DOP 46.39

-53.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.58 DOP 153

-5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$5.03 DOP 297

-28.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.29 DOP 76.4

75.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.46 DOP 86.2

26.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.22 DOP 72.3

83.61%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.65 DOP 97.5

40.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.07 DOP 418

178.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.42 DOP 380

-43.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.82 DOP 639

21.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.48 DOP 147

36.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.92 DOP 54.1

78.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.22 DOP 72.0

97.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.22 DOP 72.3

66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.20 DOP 71.1

30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.36 DOP 140

-36.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.82 DOP 48.73

24.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.49 DOP 28.74

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.00 DOP 295

-11.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.74 DOP 694

60.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.31 DOP 136

-22.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.41 DOP 142

14.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.72 DOP 102

-18.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.43 DOP 202

-9.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.11 DOP 124

-52.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.01 DOP 355

134.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.25 DOP 74.1

8.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

3.84%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.2K DOP 1.8M

5.40%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$75.8 DOP 4,477

64.95%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$23.02 DOP 1,360

-41.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$35.41 DOP 2,092

-47.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$21.17 DOP 1,251

190.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$17.25 DOP 1,019

-2.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.89 DOP 407

33.38%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$85.9 DOP 5,078

712.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,721 DOP 279.0K

230.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$43.34 DOP 2,561

33.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$41.67 DOP 2,463

-15.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$71.5 DOP 4,224

58.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$83.7 DOP 4,945

3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$762 DOP 45.0K

-19.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$460 DOP 27.2K

-3.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,431 DOP 84.5K

43.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$685 DOP 40.5K

117.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

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 Las Terrenas: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $762 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 $211, 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 12% 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 $1,645 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: $616 in Phuket versus $762 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $85.9 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 $1,097 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 $1,097 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 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.