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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,090 in Santo Domingo versus $1,265 in Phuket.

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

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

Living in Santo Domingo costs roughly 14% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.65 DOP 505

$4.70 ฿153

84.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 DOP 2,922

$45.37 ฿1,482

10.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 DOP 419

$8.43 ฿275

-14.83%

Cappuccino

$2.73 DOP 159

$2.93 ฿95.6

-6.83%

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

$0.99 DOP 58.0

$0.69 ฿22.40

43.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 DOP 48.30

$0.37 ฿11.99

124.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 DOP 152

$2.41 ฿78.6

7.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 DOP 298

$3.72 ฿122

37.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 DOP 81.4

$2.23 ฿72.9

-37.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 DOP 105

$1.83 ฿59.8

-1.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 DOP 88.6

$2.17 ฿70.8

-29.95%

Eggs

$2.26 DOP 132

$2.21 ฿72.3

2.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 DOP 428

$19.74 ฿645

-62.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 DOP 375

$3.63 ฿119

77.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 DOP 633

$13.53 ฿442

-19.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 DOP 195

$3.28 ฿107

1.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 DOP 53.0

$1.61 ฿52.6

-43.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 DOP 173

$2.41 ฿78.6

22.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 DOP 116

$2.08 ฿68.1

-4.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 DOP 142

$1.53 ฿49.93

58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 DOP 136

$1.48 ฿48.36

57.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 DOP 65.9

$0.99 ฿32.29

14.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 DOP 51.8

$0.51 ฿16.67

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 DOP 335

$4.41 ฿144

30.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 DOP 630

$19.38 ฿633

-44.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 DOP 155

$1.78 ฿58.1

49.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 DOP 189

$2.71 ฿88.6

19.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 DOP 33.23

$1.37 ฿44.79

-58.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.9 DOP 3,962

$11.39 ฿372

496.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 DOP 194

$3.02 ฿98.6

10.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 DOP 124

$0.99 ฿32.48

115.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 DOP 338

$14.10 ฿461

-58.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 DOP 77.7

$1.36 ฿44.51

-2.21%

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

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-7.17%

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

$31.2K DOP 1.8M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-5.26%

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

$77.6 DOP 4,527

$122 ฿3,975

-36.23%

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

$25.52 DOP 1,488

$13.57 ฿443

88.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.50 DOP 2,071

$18.31 ฿598

93.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.44 DOP 2,067

$60.2 ฿1,967

-41.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.29 DOP 834

$17.14 ฿560

-16.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.88 DOP 402

$8.69 ฿284

-20.83%

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

$271 DOP 15.8K

$693 ฿22.6K

-60.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,089 DOP 471.9K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-48.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 DOP 3,519

$59.5 ฿1,944

1.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 DOP 3,031

$34.77 ฿1,136

49.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 DOP 5,600

$115 ฿3,743

-16.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 DOP 6,728

$83.3 ฿2,720

38.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$562 DOP 32.8K

$613 ฿20.0K

-8.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 DOP 16.9K

$437 ฿14.3K

-33.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 DOP 69.5K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-43.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 DOP 39.4K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-55.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,192 DOP 127.9K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-41.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,219 DOP 71.1K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-53.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$638 DOP 37.2K

$508 ฿16.6K

25.53%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $562 in Santo Domingo and $613 in Phuket. 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: $50.0 in Santo Domingo vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $293, 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

Santo Domingo vs Phuket: 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.

Santo Domingo pays 26% 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: $562 in Santo Domingo versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $271 in Santo Domingo versus $693 in Phuket. 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, Santo Domingo 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 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.