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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,124 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,657 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,189 in Las Terrenas.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Las Terrenas 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$6.61 DOP 384

-32.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$46.64 DOP 2,710

-2.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.33 DOP 426

19.51%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.07 DOP 120

43.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.98 DOP 57.1

-29.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.79 DOP 46.06

-50.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.59 DOP 150

-2.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$5.07 DOP 295

-26.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.30 DOP 75.8

65.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.41 DOP 81.9

29.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.21 DOP 70.2

80.17%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.65 DOP 95.9

36.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.17 DOP 417

178.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.22 DOP 361

-41.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.97 DOP 638

23.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.53 DOP 147

28.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.85 DOP 49.18

92.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.16 DOP 67.2

100.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.16 DOP 67.3

78.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.16 DOP 67.3

33.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.36 DOP 137

-38.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.83 DOP 48.02

18.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.53 DOP 30.84

-9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.12 DOP 297

-15.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$17.36 DOP 1,009

6.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.31 DOP 134

-19.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.34 DOP 136

13.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.67 DOP 97.2

-14.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.43 DOP 200

-7.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.22 DOP 129

-53.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$5.89 DOP 342

135.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.30 DOP 75.8

3.08%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.9K DOP 1.6M

3.49%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$31.3K DOP 1.8M

6.52%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$75.7 DOP 4,397

62.61%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$22.67 DOP 1,317

-39.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$36.61 DOP 2,127

-49.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$21.07 DOP 1,224

188.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$16.64 DOP 967

3.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.65 DOP 386

33.38%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$85.4 DOP 4,965

705.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,760 DOP 276.6K

231.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$42.13 DOP 2,448

40.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$41.78 DOP 2,428

-16.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$71.8 DOP 4,174

60.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$85.8 DOP 4,985

-2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$777 DOP 45.2K

-20.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$455 DOP 26.4K

-1.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,459 DOP 84.8K

39.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$669 DOP 38.9K

123.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $777 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Las Terrenas. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $221, 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 $1,896 in Phuket and $1,686 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: $621 in Phuket versus $777 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $85.4 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 $47.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,124 in Las Terrenas versus $1,264 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 $1,124 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.