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: $1,124 in Santo Domingo versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,760 in Santo Domingo versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,395 in Santo Domingo versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Santo Domingo costs roughly 10% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santo Domingo 18% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.21 DOP 598

$4.56 ฿152

123.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 DOP 3,026

$32.62 ฿1,086

58.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 DOP 467

$8.90 ฿296

-10.45%

Cappuccino

$2.40 DOP 140

$2.80 ฿93.4

-14.29%

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

$1.13 DOP 66.4

$0.88 ฿29.31

28.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 DOP 37.46

$0.49 ฿16.29

30.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 DOP 153

$2.39 ฿79.5

9.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 DOP 211

$3.71 ฿124

-2.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 DOP 84.8

$1.79 ฿59.5

-18.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 DOP 89.5

$1.44 ฿48.00

6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 DOP 94.3

$1.58 ฿52.8

1.90%

Eggs

$2.46 DOP 144

$2.13 ฿70.8

15.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 DOP 443

$19.92 ฿663

-62.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.87 DOP 343

$3.43 ฿114

71.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 DOP 396

$11.33 ฿377

-40.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 DOP 197

$2.95 ฿98.2

13.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 DOP 47.21

$1.72 ฿57.3

-52.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 DOP 159

$2.32 ฿77.4

16.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 DOP 112

$2.08 ฿69.3

-8.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 DOP 123

$1.47 ฿48.96

42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 DOP 135

$1.36 ฿45.22

69.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 DOP 59.6

$1.10 ฿36.59

-7.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 DOP 60.1

$0.57 ฿19.13

80.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 DOP 320

$4.27 ฿142

28.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 DOP 616

$18.42 ฿613

-42.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 DOP 153

$1.87 ฿62.3

40.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 DOP 178

$2.92 ฿97.3

4.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 DOP 35.92

$2.22 ฿73.9

-72.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.63 DOP 1,091

$22.90 ฿762

-18.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 DOP 195

$3.03 ฿101

9.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 DOP 131

$1.07 ฿35.77

109.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 DOP 358

$3.93 ฿131

55.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 DOP 79.0

$1.49 ฿49.68

-9.40%

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

$23.3K DOP 1.4M

$27.1K ฿903.4K

-14.04%

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

$34.6K DOP 2.0M

$27.5K ฿914.1K

25.92%

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

$95.3 DOP 5,580

$103 ฿3,423

-7.31%

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

$31.73 DOP 1,858

$10.99 ฿366

188.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.90 DOP 2,161

$17.51 ฿583

110.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.78 DOP 1,744

$53.5 ฿1,783

-44.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.29 DOP 1,481

$11.20 ฿373

125.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 DOP 459

$7.48 ฿249

4.81%

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

$262 DOP 15.4K

$557 ฿18.5K

-52.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,076 DOP 414.4K

$11.9K ฿394.7K

-40.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.44 DOP 2,719

$64.1 ฿2,134

-27.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.90 DOP 2,746

$29.07 ฿968

61.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 DOP 5,296

$96.0 ฿3,195

-5.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 DOP 7,301

$90.3 ฿3,008

38.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 DOP 42.6K

$730 ฿24.3K

-0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 DOP 20.7K

$500 ฿16.6K

-29.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 DOP 86.4K

$2,090 ฿69.6K

-29.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 DOP 36.9K

$1,209 ฿40.3K

-47.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,265 DOP 132.7K

$3,596 ฿119.7K

-37.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,209 DOP 70.8K

$2,512 ฿83.7K

-51.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$610 DOP 35.7K

$503 ฿16.8K

21.16%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $728 in Santo Domingo and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santo Domingo pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Santo Domingo vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $228 vs $273, 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, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $728 in Santo Domingo versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $262 in Santo Domingo versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,124 in Santo Domingo versus $1,253 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 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.