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 $1,090 in Santo Domingo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,825 in Santo Domingo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,559 in Santo Domingo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than Santo Domingo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santo Domingo 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$8.65 DOP 502

-45.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$50.1 DOP 2,905

-9.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$7.18 DOP 416

17.41%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.73 DOP 158

7.33%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.99 DOP 57.6

-30.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.83 DOP 48.03

-55.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.60 DOP 151

-7.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.10 DOP 296

-27.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.40 DOP 81.0

59.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.80 DOP 104

1.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.52 DOP 88.1

42.76%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.26 DOP 131

-2.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.33 DOP 425

169.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.43 DOP 373

-43.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.86 DOP 630

24.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.34 DOP 194

-1.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.91 DOP 52.7

76.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.96 DOP 172

-18.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.99 DOP 115

4.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.43 DOP 141

-37.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.33 DOP 135

-36.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.13 DOP 65.6

-12.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.89 DOP 51.5

-42.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$5.74 DOP 333

-23.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$10.80 DOP 626

79.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.66 DOP 155

-33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.23 DOP 188

-16.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.57 DOP 33.04

140.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$67.9 DOP 3,940

-83.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.33 DOP 193

-9.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.13 DOP 124

-53.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.79 DOP 336

143.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.33 DOP 77.3

2.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

7.73%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.2K DOP 1.8M

5.55%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$77.6 DOP 4,501

56.81%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$25.52 DOP 1,480

-46.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$35.50 DOP 2,059

-48.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$35.44 DOP 2,056

69.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.29 DOP 829

19.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.88 DOP 399

26.31%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$271 DOP 15.7K

155.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$8,089 DOP 469.2K

93.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$60.3 DOP 3,499

-1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$52.0 DOP 3,014

-33.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$96.0 DOP 5,568

19.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$115 DOP 6,690

-27.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$562 DOP 32.6K

9.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$289 DOP 16.8K

51.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,192 DOP 69.1K

75.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$676 DOP 39.2K

123.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$2,192 DOP 127.2K

71.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,219 DOP 70.7K

114.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$638 DOP 37.0K

-20.34%

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 Santo Domingo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $562 in Santo Domingo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santo Domingo pays 26% 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 $50.0 in Santo Domingo. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $246, 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Santo Domingo earns 26% 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 $562 in Santo Domingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $271 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 $1,090 in Santo Domingo versus $1,265 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.