Cost of Living Comparison Between Punta Cana and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Punta Cana and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,399 in Punta Cana versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,000 in Punta Cana versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,601 in Punta Cana versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Punta Cana is roughly 11% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Punta Cana is 5% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.36 DOP 485

$4.48 ฿150

86.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 DOP 2,996

$45.59 ฿1,525

13.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 DOP 433

$8.76 ฿293

-14.84%

Cappuccino

$2.61 DOP 151

$2.97 ฿99.3

-12.12%

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

$1.04 DOP 60.2

$0.69 ฿22.96

50.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 DOP 48.64

$0.39 ฿13.07

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 DOP 147

$2.53 ฿84.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 DOP 298

$3.75 ฿125

36.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 DOP 78.2

$2.15 ฿71.8

-37.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 DOP 84.5

$1.82 ฿60.7

-19.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 DOP 88.1

$2.18 ฿73.1

-30.28%

Eggs

$2.27 DOP 132

$2.25 ฿75.2

0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.27 DOP 422

$20.00 ฿669

-63.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 DOP 368

$3.63 ฿121

74.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 DOP 599

$13.56 ฿453

-23.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 DOP 175

$3.24 ฿109

-6.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 DOP 54.1

$1.64 ฿54.7

-43.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 DOP 130

$2.33 ฿78.0

-3.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 DOP 114

$2.07 ฿69.3

-5.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 DOP 61.2

$1.55 ฿51.8

-31.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 DOP 83.9

$1.46 ฿48.67

-0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 DOP 41.96

$0.98 ฿32.94

-26.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 DOP 53.2

$0.48 ฿16.13

91.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 DOP 343

$4.35 ฿146

35.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.20 DOP 998

$18.57 ฿621

-7.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 DOP 153

$1.86 ฿62.1

41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 DOP 180

$2.65 ฿88.8

17.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 DOP 47.89

$1.42 ฿47.40

-41.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 DOP 198

$3.17 ฿106

7.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 DOP 126

$1.03 ฿34.51

111.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 DOP 351

$13.89 ฿465

-56.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 DOP 76.7

$1.34 ฿44.96

-1.49%

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

$26.0K DOP 1.5M

$27.8K ฿929.6K

-6.49%

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

$31.3K DOP 1.8M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-6.28%

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

$75.1 DOP 4,357

$123 ฿4,116

-38.96%

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

$19.74 DOP 1,145

$13.77 ฿461

43.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.22 DOP 2,101

$18.33 ฿613

97.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 DOP 3,695

$60.7 ฿2,030

4.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 DOP 303

$8.87 ฿297

-41.04%

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

$267 DOP 15.5K

$688 ฿23.0K

-61.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,129 DOP 413.6K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-54.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.55 DOP 902

$59.3 ฿1,984

-73.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 DOP 2,969

$34.69 ฿1,160

47.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 DOP 3,784

$115 ฿3,853

-43.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 DOP 6,835

$83.8 ฿2,802

40.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 DOP 48.6K

$621 ฿20.8K

34.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 DOP 38.6K

$446 ฿14.9K

49.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 DOP 76.4K

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-35.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 DOP 51.7K

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-40.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,005 DOP 174.3K

$3,455 ฿115.6K

-13.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,296 DOP 75.2K

$2,531 ฿84.7K

-48.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.9

5.33

142.03%

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

Last update for Punta Cana: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $838 in Punta Cana and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Punta Cana vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $291, with Punta Cana 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

Punta Cana vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,099 in Punta Cana and $1,896 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $838 in Punta Cana versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in Punta Cana versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $52.0 in Punta Cana. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,399 in Punta Cana, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Punta Cana. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Punta Cana, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Punta Cana and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Punta Cana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.