Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Higuey

For one person, living is cheaper in Higuey: $912 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Higuey
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Higuey Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Higuey

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Higuey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $912 in Higuey.

Austin, TX $2,607
Higuey $912

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $1,495 in Higuey.

Austin, TX $4,031
Higuey $1,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $2,078 in Higuey.

Austin, TX $5,454
Higuey $2,078

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 186% more expensive than in Higuey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 92% above, Higuey is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$9.75 DOP 585

108.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$50.0 DOP 3,002

69.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$7.46 DOP 447

62.47%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$1.99 DOP 120

183.92%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$1.04 DOP 62.6

253.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.51 DOP 30.54

362.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$2.51 DOP 151

213.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$3.17 DOP 190

178.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.19 DOP 71.6

-4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.57 DOP 94.3

135.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.35 DOP 81.1

145.19%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$1.95 DOP 117

112.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$7.30 DOP 438

77.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$5.29 DOP 318

162.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$6.56 DOP 393

149.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.00 DOP 180

56.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.70 DOP 42.22

107.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$1.46 DOP 87.3

250.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.29 DOP 77.4

250.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.16 DOP 69.5

165.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.11 DOP 66.8

114.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.59 DOP 35.27

205.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.47 DOP 28.36

372.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$5.38 DOP 323

85.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$10.11 DOP 607

48.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.42 DOP 145

20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.87 DOP 172

16.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.81 DOP 48.36

50.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$49.72 DOP 2,984

-18.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.32 DOP 199

-16.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.26 DOP 136

-26.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$5.84 DOP 351

505.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.36 DOP 81.8

-30.15%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$24.8K DOP 1.5M

37.95%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$30.7K DOP 1.8M

-12.84%

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

$223 $223

$90.5 DOP 5,429

146.49%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$16.40 DOP 984

256.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$32.65 DOP 1,959

117.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$24.74 DOP 1,485

114.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$65.4 DOP 3,923

-74.38%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$7.38 DOP 443

90.51%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$98.6 DOP 5,918

1379.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$2,173 DOP 130.4K

882.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$44.71 DOP 2,683

17.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$45.17 DOP 2,711

-5.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$86.2 DOP 5,173

0.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$79.6 DOP 4,776

30.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$289 DOP 17.3K

631.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$209 DOP 12.6K

488.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$566 DOP 34.0K

582.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$401 DOP 24.1K

499.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,809 DOP 108.6K

310.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,240 DOP 74.4K

146.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$434 DOP 26.0K

1093.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

11.5

-40.70%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Higuey: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Higuey

$209 22.9% 83% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Higuey

$192 21.1% 53.1% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Higuey

$140 15.3% 60.4% $213

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Higuey

$149 16.4% 57.1% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Higuey

$115 12.6% 10.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Higuey

$40 4.3% 51.3% $42

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Higuey

$68 7.4% 19.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $289 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 12 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $50 in Higuey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $192 per month, with Higuey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇩🇴 Higuey

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

15:18 3:18 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

123,787

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 DOP = 1.67 USD

100 DOP = 1.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇩🇴 Dominican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 60.01 DOP (100 DOP = 1.67 USD). 1 EUR = 66.8 DOP (100 DOP = 1.5 EUR).

DOP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Higuey 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Higuey

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

Austin, TX vs Higuey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Higuey wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Higuey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 12 times higher, 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $289 in Higuey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $912 in Higuey – a 186% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 18% less than in Higuey. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Higuey wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.