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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $792 in Santo Domingo Este.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,354 in Santo Domingo Este.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,916 in Santo Domingo Este.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than in Santo Domingo Este, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santo Domingo Este 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$8.60 DOP 501

-47.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$43.02 DOP 2,506

7.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.59 DOP 442

16.47%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.28 DOP 74.3

139.06%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.00 DOP 58.2

-27.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.50 DOP 29.12

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.57 DOP 150

-5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.44 DOP 201

9.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.22 DOP 71.2

85.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.71 DOP 99.5

5.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.57 DOP 91.7

43.31%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.69 DOP 98.7

33.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.28 DOP 424

167.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.62 DOP 211

0.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.66 DOP 388

95.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.31 DOP 193

-2.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.74 DOP 42.93

118.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.93 DOP 112

23.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.33 DOP 77.4

52.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.94 DOP 54.8

62.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.75 DOP 102

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.10 DOP 63.9

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.90 DOP 52.7

-42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.70 DOP 332

-22.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$10.80 DOP 629

69.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.66 DOP 96.9

12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.36 DOP 137

13.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.82 DOP 48.00

71.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$33.34 DOP 1,942

-64.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.42 DOP 199

-9.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.12 DOP 123

-50.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.07 DOP 353

132.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.23 DOP 71.5

6.50%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$27.0K DOP 1.6M

3.15%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$31.3K DOP 1.8M

6.25%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$40.76 DOP 2,375

200.39%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$17.60 DOP 1,025

-22.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$35.67 DOP 2,078

-47.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$28.03 DOP 1,633

115.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$8.44 DOP 492

101.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.89 DOP 343

53.99%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$268 DOP 15.6K

163.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,898 DOP 343.6K

167.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$41.90 DOP 2,441

39.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$51.1 DOP 2,976

-30.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$65.9 DOP 3,840

75.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$58.7 DOP 3,421

42.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$454 DOP 26.5K

37.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$169 DOP 9,825

163.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,070 DOP 62.3K

90.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$473 DOP 27.5K

215.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$599 DOP 34.9K

-16.55%

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 Santo Domingo Este: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $454 in Santo Domingo Este. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santo Domingo Este pays 20% 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 $43.00 in Santo Domingo Este for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $194 per month, with Santo Domingo Este 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 Santo Domingo Este: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santo Domingo Este is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Santo Domingo Este. 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 $454 in Santo Domingo Este. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $268 in Santo Domingo Este. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $792 in Santo Domingo Este versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santo Domingo Este but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santo Domingo Este the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santo Domingo Este 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 Este 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 Este gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.