Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Higuey and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Higuey and in Chiang Mai: $926 and $935 a month, rent and utilities included.

Higuey, Dominican Republic
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Higuey
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$926
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Higuey and in Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $926 per month in Higuey vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Higuey $926
  • Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,521 per month in Higuey vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Higuey $1,521
  • Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,116 per month in Higuey vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Higuey $2,116
  • Chiang Mai $1,999

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

Both Higuey and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Higuey 31% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Higuey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.95 DOP 598
$2.13 ฿72.0
367.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.3 DOP 3,144
$18.62 ฿628
181.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.43 DOP 446
$5.60 ฿189
32.68%
Cappuccino
$2.12 DOP 127
$1.66 ฿56.1
27.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.07 DOP 64.2
$0.65 ฿21.83
64.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 DOP 29.24
$0.30 ฿10.29
63.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.51 DOP 151
$2.32 ฿78.4
8.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 DOP 183
$3.67 ฿124
-17.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Higuey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 DOP 72.3
$2.02 ฿68.0
-40.59%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 DOP 92.7
$1.41 ฿47.51
9.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.38 DOP 82.8
$1.39 ฿46.96
-0.72%
Eggs
$2.00 DOP 120
$2.37 ฿79.9
-15.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.36 DOP 442
$16.52 ฿557
-55.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.26 DOP 316
$2.67 ฿90.1
97.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.78 DOP 407
$9.02 ฿304
-24.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.92 DOP 175
$2.40 ฿80.9
21.67%
Banana (1kg)
$0.76 DOP 45.92
$1.04 ฿35.13
-26.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.46 DOP 87.8
$1.66 ฿56.0
-12.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.29 DOP 77.2
$1.56 ฿52.6
-17.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.14 DOP 68.2
$1.24 ฿41.76
-8.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 DOP 70.6
$1.09 ฿36.66
8.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.56 DOP 33.50
$0.76 ฿25.70
-26.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 DOP 31.14
$0.51 ฿17.35
1.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 DOP 314
$4.12 ฿139
26.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.19 DOP 612
$17.93 ฿605
-43.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 DOP 146
$1.62 ฿54.8
50.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 DOP 173
$2.82 ฿95.2
2.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Higuey
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.84 DOP 50.5
$0.93 ฿31.53
-9.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.70 DOP 2,925
$52.9 ฿1,785
-7.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.39 DOP 203
$1.18 ฿39.70
187.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.19 DOP 131
$0.17 ฿5.79
1188.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.70 DOP 343
$1.81 ฿61.1
214.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 DOP 88.2
$1.47 ฿49.69
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.0K DOP 1.5M
$21.0K ฿708.9K
19.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K DOP 1.9M
$26.5K ฿894.6K
17.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Higuey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.0 DOP 5,586
$62.6 ฿2,111
48.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.84 DOP 1,011
$11.60 ฿392
45.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.54 DOP 2,015
$20.30 ฿685
65.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Higuey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.52 DOP 1,473
$37.88 ฿1,278
-35.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$66.9 DOP 4,020
$3.70 ฿125
1709.19%
Cinema Ticket
$7.29 DOP 438
$6.51 ฿220
11.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Higuey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$97.5 DOP 5,857
$727 ฿24.5K
-86.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,149 DOP 129.1K
$16.6K ฿559.2K
-87.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Higuey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.91 DOP 2,697
$53.5 ฿1,807
-16.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.51 DOP 2,733
$24.80 ฿837
83.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.8 DOP 5,150
$90.4 ฿3,050
-5.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.2 DOP 4,756
$72.0 ฿2,428
10.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Higuey
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$300 DOP 18.0K
$481 ฿16.2K
-37.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$217 DOP 13.0K
$310 ฿10.5K
-30.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$570 DOP 34.2K
$1,058 ฿35.7K
-46.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$415 DOP 24.9K
$659 ฿22.2K
-36.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,862 DOP 111.8K
$2,418 ฿81.6K
-22.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,225 DOP 73.6K
$1,609 ฿54.3K
-23.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Higuey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$444 DOP 26.7K
$595 ฿20.1K
-25.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.5
5.57
106.46%

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

Last update for Higuey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Higuey
$217
Chiang Mai
$310 43% $93
Groceries & Markets
Higuey
$194
Chiang Mai
$237 22.2% $43
Eating Out
Higuey
$152
Chiang Mai
$77 49.7% $76
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Higuey
$143
Chiang Mai
$94 34.1% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Higuey
$115
Chiang Mai
$108 5.7% $6.6
Getting Around
Higuey
$66
Chiang Mai
$59 11.7% $7.7
Sport & Entertainment
Higuey
$39
Chiang Mai
$51 30.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $300 in Higuey versus $481 in Chiang Mai. 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 34% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Higuey versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $194 in Higuey vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Higuey wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇩🇴 Higuey
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
18:43 6:43 PM
05:43 5:43 AM
11 h ahead of Higuey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
123,787
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 60.06 DOP (100 DOP = 1.67 USD). 1 EUR = 67.17 DOP (100 DOP = 1.49 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Higuey Chiang Mai 15,640 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Higuey
  • Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Higuey and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,390 per month in Higuey and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Higuey or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Higuey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $300 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.
How do dining costs compare in Higuey and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Higuey and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How expensive is transport in Higuey compared to Chiang Mai?
Public transport costs about 8% less in Higuey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Higuey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Higuey compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Higuey or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Higuey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Higuey vs other spots: cost of living compared

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