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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,096 in Santo Domingo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,824 in Santo Domingo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,552 in Santo Domingo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 14% more expensive than in Santo Domingo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santo Domingo 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$8.66 DOP 504

-47.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,550

$50.9 DOP 2,961

-9.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.23 DOP 421

22.27%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.63 DOP 153

16.35%

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

$0.73 ฿24.36

$0.99 DOP 57.4

-26.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.37

$0.82 DOP 48.02

-51.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.6

$2.57 DOP 150

-5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.99 DOP 291

-24.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿75.8

$1.34 DOP 78.0

68.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$1.71 DOP 99.6

5.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.50 DOP 87.4

50.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.4

$2.27 DOP 132

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿655

$7.18 DOP 418

171.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿122

$6.29 DOP 366

-41.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿438

$11.19 DOP 652

16.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.21 DOP 187

0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$0.86 DOP 49.84

88.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.0

$2.88 DOP 168

-17.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.0

$1.93 DOP 112

5.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$2.52 DOP 147

-39.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$2.36 DOP 138

-36.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$1.09 DOP 63.5

-10.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.36

$0.90 DOP 52.3

-42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.78 DOP 337

-23.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿615

$10.70 DOP 623

71.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$2.63 DOP 153

-29.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.0

$3.20 DOP 186

-16.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.37

$0.57 DOP 33.26

147.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$68.7 DOP 4,000

-82.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿104

$3.36 DOP 196

-7.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.00

$2.19 DOP 128

-52.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$5.98 DOP 348

135.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.02

$1.33 DOP 77.2

-1.50%

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$26.1K DOP 1.5M

6.44%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$32.3K DOP 1.9M

2.71%

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

$122 ฿4,110

$75.6 DOP 4,403

61.96%

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

$13.59 ฿456

$25.29 DOP 1,473

-46.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿628

$35.48 DOP 2,066

-47.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,031

$36.45 DOP 2,123

65.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

$14.32 DOP 834

18.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.76 DOP 394

34.17%

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

$706 ฿23.7K

$263 DOP 15.3K

168.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.5K

$8,020 DOP 467.1K

97.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,965

$60.3 DOP 3,513

-2.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,187

$52.0 DOP 3,027

-31.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,876

$96.9 DOP 5,641

19.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,811

$114 DOP 6,656

-26.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$564 DOP 32.9K

10.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.9K

$285 DOP 16.6K

56.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.5K

$1,175 DOP 68.4K

73.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.1K

$685 DOP 39.9K

117.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

$2,168 DOP 126.2K

60.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

$1,179 DOP 68.7K

118.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$621 DOP 36.2K

-19.52%

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: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $564 in Santo Domingo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santo Domingo pays 24% 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 $51.0 in Santo Domingo. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $243, 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Santo Domingo. 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 $564 in Santo Domingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $263 in Santo Domingo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,096 in Santo Domingo versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 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 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.