Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nagua

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagua: $643 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Nagua, Dominican Republic
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Nagua
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Nagua

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $643 in Nagua, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Nagua $643

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,035 in Nagua, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Nagua $1,035

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,427 in Nagua, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Nagua $1,427

Phuket costs about 99% more than Nagua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Phuket and Nagua are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Nagua 53% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Nagua
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$7.94 DOP 480
-43.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$41.57 DOP 2,512
-22.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$7.07 DOP 427
24.61%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$1.80 DOP 109
57.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$0.66 DOP 39.90
31.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.40 DOP 24.20
22.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$2.51 DOP 152
1.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$4.05 DOP 245
-9.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Nagua
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.15 DOP 69.4
44.35%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$1.70 DOP 103
-14.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.47 DOP 88.5
2.04%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.47 DOP 89.1
42.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$6.08 DOP 367
213.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$3.53 DOP 213
-6.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$4.76 DOP 288
129.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$3.69 DOP 223
-20.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.42 DOP 86.0
19.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$3.33 DOP 201
-32.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$2.22 DOP 134
-6.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$3.51 DOP 212
-56.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$2.93 DOP 177
-52.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$0.86 DOP 51.7
24.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$1.57 DOP 95.0
-66.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$4.66 DOP 282
-9.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$16.20 DOP 979
15.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$2.86 DOP 173
-36.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$3.46 DOP 209
-17.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Nagua
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.52 DOP 152
19.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$3.35 DOP 202
-69.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.44 DOP 87.1
2.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$14.8K DOP 895.5K
80.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$25.3K DOP 1.5M
5.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Nagua
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$94.5 DOP 5,707
2.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$26.78 DOP 1,618
-57.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$38.59 DOP 2,332
-56.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Nagua
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$4.90 DOP 296
53.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Nagua
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$146 DOP 8,842
225.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$5,401 DOP 326.3K
108.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Nagua
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$25.67 DOP 1,551
142.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$44.50 DOP 2,689
-36.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$62.3 DOP 3,765
51.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$64.9 DOP 3,920
32.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Nagua
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 ฿65.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Nagua
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11
-49.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nagua: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Nagua
–
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Nagua
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Nagua
–
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Nagua
–
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Nagua
–
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Nagua
–
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Nagua
–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $42 in Nagua. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $234 in Nagua – so Nagua wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇩🇴 Nagua
🕒 Local time
12:35 12:35 PM
01:35 1:35 AM
11 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
79,420
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 60.42 DOP (100 DOP = 1.66 USD). 1 EUR = 67.46 DOP (100 DOP = 1.48 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Nagua 16,720 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Nagua

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 Nagua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Nagua compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $643 in Nagua – Nagua comes out roughly 50% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Nagua?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $965 in Nagua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Nagua?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $643 in Nagua. That makes Nagua about 50% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Nagua?
Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $146 in Nagua. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Nagua, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Nagua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Nagua?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $643 in Nagua to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

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