Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Domingo and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Santo Domingo: $1,105 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

53

Cost of Living Index in Santo Domingo
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Santo Domingo Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Santo Domingo

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$1,105

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santo Domingo and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Santo Domingo and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,105 in Santo Domingo versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Santo Domingo $1,105
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,733 in Santo Domingo versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Santo Domingo $1,733
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Santo Domingo versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Santo Domingo $2,362
Phuket $2,867

Living in Santo Domingo costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santo Domingo 18% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 DOP 616

$4.58 ฿153

119.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 DOP 3,074

$32.48 ฿1,086

54.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 DOP 469

$8.55 ฿286

-10.53%

Cappuccino

$2.30 DOP 141

$2.72 ฿91.0

-15.44%

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

$1.05 DOP 64.5

$0.94 ฿31.25

11.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 DOP 36.59

$0.49 ฿16.39

22.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 DOP 152

$2.59 ฿86.6

-3.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 DOP 198

$3.83 ฿128

-15.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 DOP 85.1

$1.74 ฿58.1

-20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 DOP 94.6

$1.43 ฿47.82

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 DOP 96.1

$1.53 ฿51.0

2.61%

Eggs

$2.26 DOP 139

$2.17 ฿72.7

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.16 DOP 439

$19.15 ฿640

-62.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 DOP 332

$3.30 ฿110

64.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 DOP 402

$11.14 ฿372

-41.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 DOP 199

$2.95 ฿98.5

9.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 DOP 49.71

$1.68 ฿56.1

-51.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 DOP 164

$2.30 ฿76.8

16.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 DOP 114

$2.13 ฿71.3

-12.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 DOP 124

$1.53 ฿51.1

32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 DOP 135

$1.36 ฿45.55

62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 DOP 62.8

$1.12 ฿37.44

-8.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 DOP 56.9

$0.55 ฿18.24

69.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.39 DOP 330

$4.26 ฿142

26.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.14 DOP 621

$18.19 ฿608

-44.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 DOP 153

$1.74 ฿58.2

43.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 DOP 175

$2.79 ฿93.3

2.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 DOP 34.14

$2.22 ฿74.1

-74.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.15 DOP 1,112

$22.06 ฿737

-17.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 DOP 207

$2.91 ฿97.3

16.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 DOP 132

$1.01 ฿33.79

113.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 DOP 359

$3.83 ฿128

53.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 DOP 88.7

$1.49 ฿49.85

-2.68%

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

$23.3K DOP 1.4M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-12.74%

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

$33.2K DOP 2.0M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

24.33%

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

$93.5 DOP 5,730

$99.4 ฿3,321

-5.87%

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

$31.73 DOP 1,944

$11.28 ฿377

181.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.43 DOP 2,232

$17.36 ฿580

109.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.02 DOP 1,778

$52.3 ฿1,747

-44.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.12 DOP 1,478

$10.85 ฿362

122.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 DOP 443

$7.57 ฿253

-4.49%

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

$250 DOP 15.3K

$558 ฿18.7K

-55.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,461 DOP 457.1K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-35.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.03 DOP 2,759

$62.9 ฿2,102

-28.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.51 DOP 2,788

$28.58 ฿955

59.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 DOP 5,262

$96.1 ฿3,213

-10.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 DOP 7,640

$88.1 ฿2,943

41.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 DOP 43.5K

$729 ฿24.4K

-2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 DOP 21.7K

$460 ฿15.4K

-22.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 DOP 88.5K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-31.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 DOP 38.3K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-48.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,235 DOP 136.9K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-35.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,192 DOP 73.0K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-52.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$586 DOP 35.9K

$493 ฿16.5K

18.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.56

5.57

143.45%

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

Last update for Santo Domingo: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Santo Domingo

$355 32.1%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 29.7% $105

Groceries & Markets

Santo Domingo

$218 19.8%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 22.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santo Domingo

$162 14.6%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 20.8% $34

Eating Out

Santo Domingo

$157 14.2%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 22.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Santo Domingo

$136 12.3%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 8.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Santo Domingo

$43 3.9%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 55.1% $24

Getting Around

Santo Domingo

$35 3.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 12.6% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $710 in Santo Domingo and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santo Domingo pays 19% 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 $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $268, with Santo Domingo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Santo Domingo

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:53 11:53 AM

22:53 10:53 PM

11 h ahead of Santo Domingo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

965,040 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇴 Dominican Peso ($)

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.88 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to DOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santo Domingo Phuket 16,820 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Santo Domingo
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, leisure, and transport. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Santo Domingo, 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: $710 in Santo Domingo versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $250 in Santo Domingo versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,105 in Santo Domingo versus $1,207 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.