Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santiago de los Caballeros Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santiago de los Caballeros

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $914 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,395 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,875 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Living in Phuket is roughly 37% more expensive than in Santiago de los Caballeros, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santiago de los Caballeros 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.11 DOP 356

-25.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$45.49 DOP 2,652

1.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$5.20 DOP 303

70.00%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.95 DOP 114

56.92%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.79 DOP 46.26

-7.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.70 DOP 40.56

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.62 DOP 153

-7.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$5.01 DOP 292

-24.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.11 DOP 64.6

103.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.46 DOP 84.9

23.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.50 DOP 87.5

50.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.35 DOP 79.0

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.10 DOP 414

174.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.37 DOP 371

-42.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.83 DOP 631

20.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.19 DOP 128

47.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.92 DOP 53.8

76.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.07 DOP 121

14.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.82 DOP 106

11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.15 DOP 125

-28.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.30 DOP 134

-34.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.87 DOP 50.5

12.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.96 DOP 56.1

-45.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.01 DOP 234

10.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$10.74 DOP 627

70.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.59 DOP 151

-28.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.13 DOP 183

-14.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.57 DOP 33.31

147.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.30 DOP 193

-5.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$2.21 DOP 129

-52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$6.03 DOP 352

134.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.26 DOP 73.7

3.97%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$17.2K DOP 1.0M

61.53%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$18.8K DOP 1.1M

77.10%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$77.8 DOP 4,533

57.48%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$18.66 DOP 1,088

-27.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$36.71 DOP 2,141

-49.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$26.05 DOP 1,519

132.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$16.47 DOP 960

3.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.22 DOP 363

45.82%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$258 DOP 15.1K

173.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$1,898 DOP 110.7K

732.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$59.8 DOP 3,486

-2.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$37.04 DOP 2,160

-4.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$80.7 DOP 4,706

43.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$68.2 DOP 3,976

22.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$431 DOP 25.2K

45.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$269 DOP 15.7K

65.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$670 DOP 39.1K

204.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$364 DOP 21.2K

309.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$986 DOP 57.5K

253.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$917 DOP 53.5K

180.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$554 DOP 32.3K

-9.85%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Santiago de los Caballeros: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $431 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago de los Caballeros pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Santiago de los Caballeros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $223 per month, with Santiago de los Caballeros cheaper across the board.

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 Santiago de los Caballeros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago de los Caballeros is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Santiago de los Caballeros. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $431 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $258 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago de los Caballeros – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $914 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago de los Caballeros but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago de los Caballeros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santiago de los Caballeros is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Santiago de los Caballeros 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 Santiago de los Caballeros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.