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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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 32% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 DOP 588

$2.08 ฿69.2

379.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.6 DOP 2,982

$19.61 ฿652

158.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 DOP 472

$5.67 ฿189

41.09%

Cappuccino

$2.09 DOP 123

$1.81 ฿60.0

15.47%

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

$1.08 DOP 63.9

$0.77 ฿25.55

40.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 DOP 28.94

$0.35 ฿11.48

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 DOP 151

$2.21 ฿73.6

15.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 DOP 212

$3.79 ฿126

-5.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 DOP 75.9

$2.05 ฿68.1

-37.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 DOP 92.0

$1.51 ฿50.4

3.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 DOP 83.6

$1.40 ฿46.51

1.43%

Eggs

$2.00 DOP 118

$2.26 ฿75.1

-11.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 DOP 445

$16.19 ฿538

-53.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 DOP 325

$2.90 ฿96.3

90.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.84 DOP 403

$9.42 ฿313

-27.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 DOP 177

$2.68 ฿89.1

12.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 DOP 46.56

$1.09 ฿36.23

-27.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 DOP 88.6

$1.62 ฿53.8

-7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 DOP 80.9

$1.46 ฿48.55

-6.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 DOP 70.8

$1.28 ฿42.48

-6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 DOP 71.2

$1.06 ฿35.17

14.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 DOP 33.51

$0.72 ฿23.85

-20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 DOP 31.07

$0.53 ฿17.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.42 DOP 319

$4.23 ฿141

28.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 DOP 613

$18.29 ฿608

-43.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 DOP 152

$1.63 ฿54.2

58.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 DOP 174

$2.90 ฿96.5

2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 DOP 49.09

$0.88 ฿29.20

-5.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.5 DOP 3,032

$53.8 ฿1,788

-4.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 DOP 198

$1.17 ฿38.99

188.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 DOP 138

$0.58 ฿19.22

303.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 DOP 343

$2.39 ฿79.3

143.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 DOP 81.0

$1.45 ฿48.22

-5.52%

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

$23.8K DOP 1.4M

$21.0K ฿698.6K

13.11%

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

$31.5K DOP 1.9M

$26.4K ฿878.6K

19.12%

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

$95.1 DOP 5,606

$63.7 ฿2,116

49.46%

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

$17.15 DOP 1,011

$12.89 ฿429

33.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.89 DOP 1,997

$20.52 ฿682

65.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.44 DOP 1,499

$39.02 ฿1,297

-34.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.5 DOP 3,916

$3.92 ฿130

1595.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 DOP 456

$6.58 ฿219

17.63%

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

$101 DOP 5,950

$784 ฿26.1K

-87.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,257 DOP 133.0K

$14.7K ฿487.9K

-84.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.76 DOP 2,755

$55.1 ฿1,833

-15.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 DOP 2,821

$24.74 ฿823

93.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 DOP 5,172

$94.1 ฿3,130

-6.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 DOP 4,800

$74.0 ฿2,459

10.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 DOP 17.8K

$490 ฿16.3K

-38.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 DOP 12.9K

$288 ฿9,582

-23.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 DOP 34.7K

$891 ฿29.6K

-33.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 DOP 24.5K

$521 ฿17.3K

-20.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,876 DOP 110.5K

$1,974 ฿65.6K

-4.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,294 DOP 76.3K

$1,444 ฿48.0K

-10.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$454 DOP 26.7K

$602 ฿20.0K

-24.60%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $302 in Higuey versus $490 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 33% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Higuey versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Higuey vs $241 in Chiang Mai – 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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,397 per month in Higuey and $1,398 in Chiang Mai. 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 $51.0 in Higuey and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. 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.