Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Higuey Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Higuey

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $931 in Higuey, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,524 in Higuey, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,116 in Higuey, rent included.

Chiang Mai and Higuey have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Higuey are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Higuey 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.2

$9.98 DOP 588

-79.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿652

$50.6 DOP 2,982

-61.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$8.00 DOP 472

-29.13%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.0

$2.09 DOP 123

-13.40%

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

$0.77 ฿25.55

$1.08 DOP 63.9

-28.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.48

$0.49 DOP 28.94

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.6

$2.56 DOP 151

-13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$3.60 DOP 212

5.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.1

$1.29 DOP 75.9

58.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$1.56 DOP 92.0

-3.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.51

$1.42 DOP 83.6

-1.41%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.1

$2.00 DOP 118

13.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿538

$7.55 DOP 445

114.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.3

$5.52 DOP 325

-47.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿313

$6.84 DOP 403

37.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.1

$3.01 DOP 177

-10.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.23

$0.79 DOP 46.56

37.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.8

$1.50 DOP 88.6

8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.55

$1.37 DOP 80.9

6.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.48

$1.20 DOP 70.8

6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.17

$1.21 DOP 71.2

-12.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.85

$0.57 DOP 33.51

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.49

$0.53 DOP 31.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$5.42 DOP 319

-21.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿608

$10.40 DOP 613

75.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.2

$2.58 DOP 152

-36.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.5

$2.96 DOP 174

-2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.20

$0.83 DOP 49.09

6.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,788

$51.5 DOP 3,032

4.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿38.99

$3.37 DOP 198

-65.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.22

$2.34 DOP 138

-75.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.3

$5.83 DOP 343

-59.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.22

$1.37 DOP 81.0

5.84%

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

$21.0K ฿698.6K

$23.8K DOP 1.4M

-11.59%

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

$26.4K ฿878.6K

$31.5K DOP 1.9M

-16.05%

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

$63.7 ฿2,116

$95.1 DOP 5,606

-33.09%

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

$12.89 ฿429

$17.15 DOP 1,011

-24.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿682

$33.89 DOP 1,997

-39.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,297

$25.44 DOP 1,499

53.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

$66.5 DOP 3,916

-94.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿219

$7.74 DOP 456

-14.99%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

$101 DOP 5,950

676.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿487.9K

$2,257 DOP 133.0K

550.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,833

$46.76 DOP 2,755

17.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿823

$47.87 DOP 2,821

-48.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,130

$87.8 DOP 5,172

7.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,459

$81.5 DOP 4,800

-9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$302 DOP 17.8K

62.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,582

$219 DOP 12.9K

31.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.6K

$589 DOP 34.7K

51.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$415 DOP 24.5K

25.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.6K

$1,876 DOP 110.5K

5.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.0K

$1,294 DOP 76.3K

11.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

$454 DOP 26.7K

32.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.5

-51.57%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Higuey: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $302 in Higuey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 33% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $51.0 in Higuey. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Chiang Mai vs $200 in Higuey – so Higuey wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Chiang Mai vs Higuey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,397 in Higuey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Higuey, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $51.0 in Higuey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Higuey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Higuey, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Higuey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Higuey costs $931 versus $932 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Higuey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.