Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Domingo Este and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Domingo Este and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $792 in Santo Domingo Este versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Santo Domingo Este versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,916 in Santo Domingo Este versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Santo Domingo Este costs roughly 37% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santo Domingo Este 41% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.60 DOP 501

$4.55 ฿153

89.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.02 DOP 2,508

$46.18 ฿1,554

-6.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 DOP 442

$8.84 ฿298

-14.14%

Cappuccino

$1.28 DOP 74.4

$3.06 ฿103

-58.17%

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

$1.00 DOP 58.3

$0.73 ฿24.42

36.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 DOP 29.15

$0.40 ฿13.40

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 DOP 150

$2.43 ฿81.8

5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 DOP 201

$3.78 ฿127

-8.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 DOP 71.3

$2.26 ฿76.0

-46.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 DOP 99.6

$1.81 ฿60.9

-5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 DOP 91.8

$2.25 ฿75.8

-30.22%

Eggs

$1.69 DOP 98.8

$2.25 ฿75.6

-24.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.28 DOP 425

$19.51 ฿656

-62.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 DOP 211

$3.65 ฿123

-0.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.66 DOP 389

$13.05 ฿439

-48.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 DOP 193

$3.23 ฿109

2.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 DOP 42.98

$1.62 ฿54.4

-54.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 DOP 113

$2.38 ฿80.2

-18.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 DOP 77.5

$2.03 ฿68.2

-34.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 DOP 54.8

$1.53 ฿51.6

-38.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 DOP 102

$1.50 ฿50.5

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 DOP 64.0

$0.98 ฿32.93

12.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 DOP 52.7

$0.52 ฿17.40

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.70 DOP 332

$4.44 ฿149

28.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 DOP 630

$18.32 ฿616

-41.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 DOP 97.0

$1.86 ฿62.7

-10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 DOP 137

$2.68 ฿90.2

-11.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 DOP 48.05

$1.41 ฿47.49

-41.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.34 DOP 1,944

$11.70 ฿394

184.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 DOP 199

$3.11 ฿105

9.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 DOP 123

$1.04 ฿35.08

103.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 DOP 354

$14.11 ฿475

-56.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 DOP 71.6

$1.31 ฿44.13

-6.11%

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

$27.0K DOP 1.6M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-3.05%

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

$31.3K DOP 1.8M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-5.88%

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

$40.76 DOP 2,377

$122 ฿4,120

-66.71%

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

$17.60 DOP 1,026

$13.59 ฿457

29.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 DOP 2,080

$18.70 ฿629

90.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.03 DOP 1,634

$60.5 ฿2,035

-53.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.44 DOP 492

$16.98 ฿572

-50.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.89 DOP 343

$9.07 ฿305

-35.06%

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

$268 DOP 15.6K

$706 ฿23.8K

-62.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,898 DOP 343.9K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-62.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.90 DOP 2,443

$58.6 ฿1,970

-28.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 DOP 2,980

$35.36 ฿1,190

44.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.9 DOP 3,844

$115 ฿3,885

-42.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.7 DOP 3,424

$83.7 ฿2,818

-29.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 DOP 26.5K

$626 ฿21.1K

-27.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 DOP 9,835

$445 ฿15.0K

-62.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 DOP 62.4K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-47.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 DOP 27.6K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-68.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$599 DOP 34.9K

$500 ฿16.8K

19.84%

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 Santo Domingo Este: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $454 in Santo Domingo Este and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santo Domingo Este pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Santo Domingo Este vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $289 per month, with Santo Domingo Este 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

Santo Domingo Este vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santo Domingo Este is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Santo Domingo Este, 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: $454 in Santo Domingo Este versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $268 in Santo Domingo Este versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $792 in Santo Domingo Este versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santo Domingo Este but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santo Domingo Este the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santo Domingo Este 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, Santo Domingo Este 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 Santo Domingo Este gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.