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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,139 in Santo Domingo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,775 in Santo Domingo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,410 in Santo Domingo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than in Santo Domingo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Santo Domingo 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.24 DOP 601

-56.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$51.7 DOP 3,036

-37.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.58 DOP 445

17.81%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.46 DOP 144

17.89%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.12 DOP 66.0

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.63 DOP 37.29

-23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.47 DOP 145

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.46 DOP 204

7.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.39 DOP 81.8

34.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.56 DOP 91.9

-5.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.67 DOP 98.0

-7.19%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.41 DOP 142

-12.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.61 DOP 447

157.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.55 DOP 326

-38.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$6.63 DOP 390

71.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.24 DOP 190

-8.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.81 DOP 47.34

107.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.82 DOP 166

-21.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.84 DOP 108

17.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.02 DOP 119

-24.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.29 DOP 134

-41.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.06 DOP 62.0

6.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.02 DOP 59.7

-46.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.37 DOP 315

-20.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$10.49 DOP 616

81.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.60 DOP 153

-31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.08 DOP 181

-9.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.61 DOP 36.10

265.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$18.37 DOP 1,080

23.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.30 DOP 194

-8.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.35 DOP 138

-56.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$5.79 DOP 340

-32.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.36 DOP 80.1

9.56%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$24.1K DOP 1.4M

10.31%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$34.5K DOP 2.0M

-21.64%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$95.1 DOP 5,591

7.70%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$32.26 DOP 1,896

-64.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$36.76 DOP 2,160

-52.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$30.52 DOP 1,793

70.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$24.61 DOP 1,446

-55.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.72 DOP 454

-0.39%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$263 DOP 15.4K

113.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,446 DOP 437.5K

54.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$46.94 DOP 2,758

34.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$48.16 DOP 2,830

-38.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$87.4 DOP 5,133

12.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$128 DOP 7,534

-30.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$727 DOP 42.7K

1.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$359 DOP 21.1K

34.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,460 DOP 85.8K

44.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$634 DOP 37.3K

93.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,204 DOP 129.5K

64.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,204 DOP 70.7K

116.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$606 DOP 35.6K

-18.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.56

-58.92%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $727 in Santo Domingo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santo Domingo pays 23% 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 $52.0 in Santo Domingo. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $225, 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, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $727 in Santo Domingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 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 22% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,139 in Santo Domingo versus $1,232 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 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.