Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Higuey and Azua

For one person, living is cheaper in Azua: $657 a month against $926 in Higuey, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Higuey, Dominican Republic
Azua, Dominican Republic
Higuey
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$926
/mo nomad
Azua
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$657
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Higuey and in Azua

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $926 in Higuey versus $657 in Azua.

  • Higuey $926
  • Azua $657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,521 in Higuey versus $1,055 in Azua.

  • Higuey $1,521
  • Azua $1,055

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,116 in Higuey versus $1,453 in Azua.

  • Higuey $2,116
  • Azua $1,453

Living in Higuey is roughly 41% more expensive than in Azua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Higuey 31% lower, Azua 51% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Higuey
Azua
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.95 DOP 598
$8.24 DOP 495
20.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.3 DOP 3,145
$41.36 DOP 2,485
26.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.43 DOP 446
$7.02 DOP 422
5.84%
Cappuccino
$2.12 DOP 127
$1.34 DOP 80.2
58.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.07 DOP 64.2
$0.67 DOP 39.97
59.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 DOP 29.25
$0.41 DOP 24.55
19.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.51 DOP 151
$2.40 DOP 144
4.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 DOP 183
$3.83 DOP 230
-20.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Higuey
Azua
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 DOP 72.4
$1.19 DOP 71.7
0.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 DOP 92.7
$1.72 DOP 103
-10.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.38 DOP 82.8
$1.05 DOP 62.9
31.43%
Eggs
$2.00 DOP 120
$1.49 DOP 89.3
34.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.36 DOP 442
$6.30 DOP 378
16.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.26 DOP 316
$3.48 DOP 209
51.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.78 DOP 407
$4.55 DOP 273
49.01%
Apples (1kg)
$2.92 DOP 175
$3.64 DOP 219
-19.78%
Banana (1kg)
$0.76 DOP 45.93
$1.37 DOP 82.5
-44.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.46 DOP 87.8
$3.16 DOP 190
-53.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.29 DOP 77.2
$2.20 DOP 132
-41.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.14 DOP 68.2
$3.47 DOP 208
-67.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 DOP 70.6
$2.91 DOP 175
-59.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.56 DOP 33.51
$0.93 DOP 56.1
-39.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 DOP 31.15
$1.64 DOP 98.4
-68.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 DOP 314
$4.67 DOP 281
11.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.19 DOP 612
$16.67 DOP 1,002
-38.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 DOP 146
$3.00 DOP 180
-19.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 DOP 173
$3.34 DOP 201
-13.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Higuey
Azua
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.84 DOP 50.5
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.70 DOP 2,926
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.39 DOP 204
$2.41 DOP 145
40.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.19 DOP 131
$3.32 DOP 200
-34.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.70 DOP 343
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 DOP 88.2
$1.38 DOP 82.6
6.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.0K DOP 1.5M
$14.5K DOP 873.0K
72.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K DOP 1.9M
$25.0K DOP 1.5M
24.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Higuey
Azua
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.0 DOP 5,588
$94.9 DOP 5,702
-2.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.84 DOP 1,012
$26.82 DOP 1,611
-37.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.54 DOP 2,015
$38.04 DOP 2,286
-11.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Higuey
Azua
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.52 DOP 1,473
$19.49 DOP 1,171
25.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$66.9 DOP 4,022
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.29 DOP 438
$4.77 DOP 287
52.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Higuey
Azua
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$97.5 DOP 5,859
$144 DOP 8,670
-32.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,149 DOP 129.1K
$5,326 DOP 320.0K
-59.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Higuey
Azua
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.91 DOP 2,698
$25.70 DOP 1,544
74.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.51 DOP 2,734
$44.57 DOP 2,678
2.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.8 DOP 5,152
$60.1 DOP 3,613
42.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.2 DOP 4,757
$65.8 DOP 3,951
20.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Higuey
Azua
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$300 DOP 18.0K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$217 DOP 13.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$570 DOP 34.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$415 DOP 24.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,862 DOP 111.9K
$3,549 DOP 213.2K
-47.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,225 DOP 73.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Higuey
Azua
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$444 DOP 26.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.5
11
4.55%

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

Last update for Higuey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Azua: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Higuey
$217
Azua
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Higuey
$194
Azua
$234 20.8% $40
Eating Out
Higuey
$152
Azua
$127 16.6% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Higuey
$143
Azua
$160 11.4% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Higuey
$115
Azua
$88 23.2% $27
Getting Around
Higuey
$66
Azua
$19 * 71.4% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Higuey
$39
Azua
$29 25.8% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52 in Higuey vs $41 in Azua. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $234, with Higuey cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇩🇴 Higuey
🇩🇴 Azua
🕒 Local time
11:41 11:41 AM
11:41 11:41 AM
Same time as Higuey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
123,787
128,264
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 60.08 DOP (100 DOP = 1.66 USD). 1 EUR = 67.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.49 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Higuey Azua 210 km
From you
  • Higuey
  • Azua

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
Higuey vs Azua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Azua cheaper than Higuey?
Azua is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,390 in Higuey and $986 in Azua to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do food prices compare in Higuey and in Azua?
Shoppers in Higuey pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
What are total monthly expenses in Higuey and in Azua?
All in, you’ll spend $926 per month in Higuey versus $657 in Azua – Azua is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is it better to live in Higuey or in Azua?
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.
Which city is safer, Higuey or Azua?
Safety-wise, Higuey and Azua are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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