Cost of Living Comparison Between Higuey and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Higuey and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $666 in Higuey versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,065 in Higuey versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,464 in Higuey versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Higuey costs roughly 46% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Higuey 50% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 DOP 276

$4.63 ฿151

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.62 DOP 1,703

$46.84 ฿1,523

-38.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 DOP 308

$8.84 ฿287

-41.40%

Cappuccino

$2.21 DOP 132

$3.00 ฿97.4

-26.33%

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

$0.49 DOP 29.17

$0.74 ฿24.11

-33.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 DOP 26.07

$0.37 ฿11.88

18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 DOP 114

$2.44 ฿79.3

-21.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 DOP 177

$3.61 ฿117

-17.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 DOP 59.2

$2.26 ฿73.5

-56.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 DOP 62.3

$1.84 ฿59.8

-42.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 DOP 51.3

$2.24 ฿73.0

-61.61%

Eggs

$1.53 DOP 91.0

$2.32 ฿75.3

-34.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.50 DOP 149

$19.67 ฿639

-87.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 DOP 205

$3.65 ฿119

-5.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.19 DOP 309

$13.10 ฿426

-60.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 DOP 190

$3.39 ฿110

-5.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 DOP 50.6

$1.64 ฿53.4

-48.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 DOP 181

$2.41 ฿78.5

26.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 DOP 114

$2.03 ฿66.0

-5.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 DOP 54.9

$1.56 ฿50.6

-41.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 DOP 143

$1.50 ฿48.66

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 DOP 67.4

$1.02 ฿33.30

10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 DOP 48.44

$0.49 ฿15.91

65.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 DOP 255

$4.45 ฿145

-3.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.42 DOP 680

$18.88 ฿614

-39.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 DOP 99.6

$1.78 ฿57.7

-6.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 DOP 153

$2.75 ฿89.5

-6.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 DOP 59.5

$1.40 ฿45.54

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 DOP 206

$3.12 ฿101

10.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 DOP 131

$1.00 ฿32.48

120.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 DOP 360

$14.09 ฿458

-57.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 DOP 75.2

$1.35 ฿43.93

-6.67%

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

$26.8K DOP 1.6M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-1.59%

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

$32.2K DOP 1.9M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-2.11%

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

$51.6 DOP 3,069

$125 ฿4,063

-58.74%

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

$24.97 DOP 1,486

$13.57 ฿441

84.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.69 DOP 1,589

$18.52 ฿602

44.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.15 DOP 842

$61.5 ฿1,999

-76.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$4.22 DOP 251

$9.19 ฿299

-54.08%

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

$264 DOP 15.7K

$698 ฿22.7K

-62.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,942 DOP 472.7K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-49.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 DOP 3,617

$57.8 ฿1,878

5.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 DOP 3,049

$35.24 ฿1,146

45.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 DOP 5,710

$113 ฿3,677

-15.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 DOP 6,849

$86.4 ฿2,808

33.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$163 DOP 9,680

$616 ฿20.0K

-73.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$109 DOP 6,479

$446 ฿14.5K

-75.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 DOP 16.8K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-86.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$211 DOP 12.5K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-85.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.25

5.33

129.83%

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

Last update for Higuey: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $163 in Higuey and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29.00 in Higuey vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $292 per month, with Higuey cheaper across the board.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Higuey is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,000 in Higuey and $1,847 in Phuket 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $163 in Higuey versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $666 per month in Higuey versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $666 in Higuey versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Higuey but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Higuey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Higuey is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Higuey and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Higuey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.