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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $938 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,432 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,926 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Living in Phuket is roughly 35% more expensive than in Santiago de los Caballeros, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Santiago de los Caballeros 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$8.41 DOP 496

-44.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$42.48 DOP 2,504

-24.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.26 DOP 428

19.56%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.88 DOP 111

54.26%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.74 DOP 43.81

13.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.41 DOP 24.20

19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.55 DOP 150

-2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.57 DOP 211

4.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.18 DOP 69.7

60.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.56 DOP 91.9

-9.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.53 DOP 89.9

5.88%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.54 DOP 90.6

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$6.55 DOP 386

202.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$3.62 DOP 214

-3.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$4.86 DOP 287

133.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.27 DOP 193

-11.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.80 DOP 46.89

115.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.84 DOP 167

-20.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.82 DOP 107

17.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.00 DOP 118

-26.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.23 DOP 132

-36.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.96 DOP 56.3

14.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.01 DOP 59.7

-40.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.80 DOP 283

-10.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$10.65 DOP 628

74.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.64 DOP 156

-31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.98 DOP 175

-0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.57 DOP 33.70

294.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$30.50 DOP 1,798

-22.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.57 DOP 152

20.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.25 DOP 132

-52.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$6.02 DOP 355

-35.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.35 DOP 79.8

5.93%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$15.2K DOP 898.7K

82.30%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$25.5K DOP 1.5M

5.87%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$92.7 DOP 5,468

13.00%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$27.31 DOP 1,610

-58.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$37.16 DOP 2,191

-52.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$25.11 DOP 1,481

116.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.97 DOP 293

56.54%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$155 DOP 9,146

271.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$5,685 DOP 335.2K

103.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$26.80 DOP 1,580

137.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$45.85 DOP 2,703

-36.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$62.2 DOP 3,666

54.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$66.3 DOP 3,906

35.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$682 DOP 40.2K

7.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$276 DOP 16.3K

81.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,533 DOP 90.4K

38.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$467 DOP 27.5K

168.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$985 DOP 58.1K

258.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$898 DOP 52.9K

192.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$548 DOP 32.3K

-7.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Santiago de los Caballeros: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $682 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago de los Caballeros pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $200, with Santiago de los Caballeros 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 Santiago de los Caballeros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago de los Caballeros is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $682 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $155 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $938 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $1,265 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 35% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.