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 $907 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,393 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,879 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than 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

$4.70 ฿153

$6.01 DOP 350

-21.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$45.41 DOP 2,649

-0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.02 DOP 293

67.93%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.94 DOP 113

51.03%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.79 DOP 46.19

-12.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.69 DOP 40.08

-46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.58 DOP 151

-6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.23 DOP 305

-28.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.06 DOP 62.1

110.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.46 DOP 85.2

25.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.46 DOP 84.9

48.63%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.29 DOP 75.5

71.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.33 DOP 427

169.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.48 DOP 378

-43.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.90 DOP 636

24.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.21 DOP 129

48.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.91 DOP 52.8

76.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.99 DOP 116

21.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.91 DOP 112

8.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.18 DOP 127

-29.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.38 DOP 139

-37.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.89 DOP 51.8

11.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.96 DOP 56.2

-46.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.98 DOP 232

10.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$10.90 DOP 636

77.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.59 DOP 151

-31.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.22 DOP 188

-15.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.57 DOP 33.37

140.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.35 DOP 196

-9.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$2.20 DOP 128

-55.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.79 DOP 338

143.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.27 DOP 74.2

7.09%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$17.2K DOP 1.0M

63.76%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$18.9K DOP 1.1M

74.45%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$76.4 DOP 4,457

59.27%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$19.10 DOP 1,114

-28.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$35.57 DOP 2,075

-48.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$25.48 DOP 1,486

136.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$16.90 DOP 986

1.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.40 DOP 373

35.78%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$253 DOP 14.8K

173.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,954 DOP 114.0K

702.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$59.4 DOP 3,465

0.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$37.39 DOP 2,181

-7.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$78.3 DOP 4,570

46.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$66.7 DOP 3,888

24.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$423 DOP 24.7K

45.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$271 DOP 15.8K

60.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$666 DOP 38.8K

214.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$374 DOP 21.8K

303.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$986 DOP 57.5K

280.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$928 DOP 54.1K

181.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$533 DOP 31.1K

-4.65%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santiago de los Caballeros: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $423 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago de los Caballeros pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $225, 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Santiago de los Caballeros earns 5% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $423 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $253 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $907 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 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.