Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santo Domingo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santo Domingo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $644 in Santo Domingo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,130 in Santo Domingo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,617 in Santo Domingo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 97% more expensive than in Santo Domingo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Santo Domingo 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.96 $3.96

17.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$52.6 $52.6

-38.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$9.14 $9.14

-5.03%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.94 $1.94

49.48%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.85 $0.85

-1.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.65 $0.65

-24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.01 $2.01

23.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$4.37 $4.37

-14.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.98 $0.98

92.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.95 $1.95

-27.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.35 $1.35

20.00%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.94 $1.94

15.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$4.33 $4.33

358.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$3.07 $3.07

13.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$3.56 $3.56

219.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.53 $1.53

89.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.03 $1.03

66.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.02 $1.02

122.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.90 $0.90

136.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.99 $0.99

48.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.99 $0.99

43.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.81 $0.81

35.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.97 $0.97

-38.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$5.84 $5.84

-26.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$5.14 $5.14

261.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.55 $1.55

16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.12 $2.12

40.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.36 $0.36

525.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$20.79 $20.79

12.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.22 $1.22

154.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.74 $1.74

-37.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$11.92 $11.92

-67.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.88 $0.88

62.50%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$20.8K $20.8K

33.67%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$31.8K $31.8K

-15.22%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$36.60 $36.60

186.34%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$9.98 $9.98

14.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$23.46 $23.46

-25.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$29.42 $29.42

84.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$16.32 $16.32

-29.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.39 $7.39

5.28%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$394 $394

46.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$6,029 $6,029

92.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$19.95 $19.95

219.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$30.28 $30.28

-3.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$50.2 $50.2

91.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$49.31 $49.31

82.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$300 $300

144.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$185 $185

171.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$673 $673

215.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$417 $417

200.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,213 $1,213

191.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$791 $791

231.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$395 $395

28.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.05

-44.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $300 in Santo Domingo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $53.0 in Santo Domingo. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $146, with Santo Domingo 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 Santo Domingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santo Domingo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $300 in Santo Domingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $394 in Santo Domingo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $644 in Santo Domingo versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santo Domingo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santo Domingo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santo Domingo 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 Santo Domingo 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 Santo Domingo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.