Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago de los Caballeros and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago de los Caballeros and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,393 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,879 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Santiago de los Caballeros costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago de los Caballeros 32% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.01 DOP 350

$4.70 ฿153

27.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.41 DOP 2,649

$45.37 ฿1,482

0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 DOP 293

$8.43 ฿275

-40.45%

Cappuccino

$1.94 DOP 113

$2.93 ฿95.6

-33.79%

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

$0.79 DOP 46.19

$0.69 ฿22.40

14.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 DOP 40.08

$0.37 ฿11.99

86.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 DOP 151

$2.41 ฿78.6

7.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 DOP 305

$3.72 ฿122

40.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 DOP 62.1

$2.23 ฿72.9

-52.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 DOP 85.2

$1.83 ฿59.8

-20.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 DOP 84.9

$2.17 ฿70.8

-32.72%

Eggs

$1.29 DOP 75.5

$2.21 ฿72.3

-41.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 DOP 427

$19.74 ฿645

-62.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 DOP 378

$3.63 ฿119

78.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 DOP 636

$13.53 ฿442

-19.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 DOP 129

$3.28 ฿107

-32.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 DOP 52.8

$1.61 ฿52.6

-43.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 DOP 116

$2.41 ฿78.6

-17.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 DOP 112

$2.08 ฿68.1

-8.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 DOP 127

$1.53 ฿49.93

42.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 DOP 139

$1.48 ฿48.36

60.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 DOP 51.8

$0.99 ฿32.29

-10.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 DOP 56.2

$0.51 ฿16.67

88.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 DOP 232

$4.41 ฿144

-9.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 DOP 636

$19.38 ฿633

-43.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 DOP 151

$1.78 ฿58.1

45.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 DOP 188

$2.71 ฿88.6

18.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 DOP 33.37

$1.37 ฿44.79

-58.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 DOP 196

$3.02 ฿98.6

10.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 DOP 128

$0.99 ฿32.48

122.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 DOP 338

$14.10 ฿461

-58.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 DOP 74.2

$1.36 ฿44.51

-6.62%

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

$17.2K DOP 1.0M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-38.94%

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

$18.9K DOP 1.1M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-42.68%

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

$76.4 DOP 4,457

$122 ฿3,975

-37.21%

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

$19.10 DOP 1,114

$13.57 ฿443

40.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.57 DOP 2,075

$18.31 ฿598

94.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.48 DOP 1,486

$60.2 ฿1,967

-57.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.90 DOP 986

$17.14 ฿560

-1.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 DOP 373

$8.69 ฿284

-26.35%

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

$253 DOP 14.8K

$693 ฿22.6K

-63.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,954 DOP 114.0K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-87.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 DOP 3,465

$59.5 ฿1,944

-0.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 DOP 2,181

$34.77 ฿1,136

7.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 DOP 4,570

$115 ฿3,743

-31.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.7 DOP 3,888

$83.3 ฿2,720

-19.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 DOP 24.7K

$613 ฿20.0K

-31.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 DOP 15.8K

$437 ฿14.3K

-37.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 DOP 38.8K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-68.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 DOP 21.8K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-75.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$986 DOP 57.5K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-73.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$928 DOP 54.1K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-64.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$533 DOP 31.1K

$508 ฿16.6K

4.88%

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 Santiago de los Caballeros: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Santiago de los Caballeros and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago de los Caballeros pays 5% 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 Santiago de los Caballeros vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $293 per month, with Santiago de los Caballeros 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

Santiago de los Caballeros vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago de los Caballeros is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Santiago de los Caballeros pays 5% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $423 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $253 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago de los Caballeros – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $907 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago de los Caballeros but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago de los Caballeros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santiago de los Caballeros 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, Santiago de los Caballeros 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 Santiago de los Caballeros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.