Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Higuey and Santo Domingo

For one person, living is cheaper in Higuey: $926 a month against $1,100 in Santo Domingo, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Higuey
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Higuey Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Santo Domingo
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Santo Domingo Living Index

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Higuey

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$926

/mo nomad

Santo Domingo

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$1,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Higuey and in Santo Domingo

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 Santo Domingo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $926 in Higuey versus $1,100 in Santo Domingo.

Higuey $926
Santo Domingo $1,100

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,521 in Higuey versus $1,735 in Santo Domingo.

Higuey $1,521
Santo Domingo $1,735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,116 in Higuey versus $2,370 in Santo Domingo.

Higuey $2,116
Santo Domingo $2,370

Living in Higuey costs roughly 16% less than in Santo Domingo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Higuey 31% lower, Santo Domingo 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.95 DOP 598

$9.66 DOP 580

3.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 DOP 3,144

$52.4 DOP 3,148

-0.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 DOP 446

$7.56 DOP 454

-1.72%

Cappuccino

$2.12 DOP 127

$2.42 DOP 145

-12.40%

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

$1.07 DOP 64.2

$1.05 DOP 63.2

1.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 DOP 29.24

$0.59 DOP 35.33

-16.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 DOP 151

$2.49 DOP 150

0.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 DOP 183

$3.02 DOP 181

0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 DOP 72.3

$1.37 DOP 82.0

-12.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 DOP 92.7

$1.58 DOP 95.0

-2.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 DOP 82.8

$1.55 DOP 93.4

-10.97%

Eggs

$2.00 DOP 120

$2.37 DOP 142

-15.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.36 DOP 442

$7.16 DOP 430

2.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 DOP 316

$5.46 DOP 328

-3.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 DOP 407

$6.50 DOP 390

4.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 DOP 175

$3.22 DOP 193

-9.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 DOP 45.92

$0.82 DOP 49.40

-7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 DOP 87.8

$2.76 DOP 166

-47.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 DOP 77.2

$1.82 DOP 109

-29.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 DOP 68.2

$2.04 DOP 123

-44.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 DOP 70.6

$2.15 DOP 129

-45.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 DOP 33.50

$1.00 DOP 60.1

-44.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 DOP 31.14

$0.99 DOP 59.6

-47.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 DOP 314

$5.46 DOP 328

-4.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 DOP 612

$10.43 DOP 627

-2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 DOP 146

$2.52 DOP 151

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 DOP 173

$2.87 DOP 173

0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 DOP 50.5

$0.60 DOP 36.19

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.70 DOP 2,925

$16.72 DOP 1,004

191.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 DOP 203

$3.37 DOP 202

0.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 DOP 131

$2.25 DOP 135

-2.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 DOP 343

$5.65 DOP 339

0.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 DOP 88.2

$1.41 DOP 84.5

4.26%

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

$25.0K DOP 1.5M

$29.1K DOP 1.7M

-14.01%

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

$31.2K DOP 1.9M

$33.3K DOP 2.0M

-6.40%

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

$93.0 DOP 5,586

$91.9 DOP 5,520

1.19%

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

$16.84 DOP 1,011

$31.92 DOP 1,917

-47.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.54 DOP 2,015

$36.52 DOP 2,194

-8.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.52 DOP 1,473

$29.86 DOP 1,794

-17.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 DOP 4,020

$24.52 DOP 1,473

173.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 DOP 438

$7.27 DOP 437

0.28%

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

$97.5 DOP 5,857

$247 DOP 14.8K

-60.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,149 DOP 129.1K

$8,515 DOP 511.4K

-74.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.91 DOP 2,697

$45.01 DOP 2,703

-0.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.51 DOP 2,733

$47.24 DOP 2,838

-3.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 DOP 5,150

$88.4 DOP 5,306

-2.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 DOP 4,756

$122 DOP 7,332

-35.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$300 DOP 18.0K

$754 DOP 45.3K

-60.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 DOP 13.0K

$351 DOP 21.1K

-38.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$570 DOP 34.2K

$1,450 DOP 87.1K

-60.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 DOP 24.9K

$623 DOP 37.4K

-33.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,862 DOP 111.8K

$2,511 DOP 150.8K

-25.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,225 DOP 73.6K

$1,336 DOP 80.3K

-8.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$444 DOP 26.7K

$675 DOP 40.5K

-34.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

13.56

-15.19%

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

Last update for Higuey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Higuey

$217 23.4%

Santo Domingo

$351 31.9% 62.1% $135

Groceries & Markets

Higuey

$194 20.9%

Santo Domingo

$220 20% 13.7% $26

Eating Out

Higuey

$152 16.4%

Santo Domingo

$154 14% 1.2% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Higuey

$143 15.5%

Santo Domingo

$160 14.6% 11.8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Higuey

$115 12.4%

Santo Domingo

$136 12.4% 18.5% $21

Getting Around

Higuey

$66 7.2%

Santo Domingo

$34 3.1% 49.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Higuey

$39 4.2%

Santo Domingo

$44 4% 13.5% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $300 in Higuey and $754 in Santo Domingo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santo Domingo pays 52% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Higuey vs $52 in Santo Domingo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $220 per month, with Higuey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Higuey

🇩🇴 Santo Domingo

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

Same time as Higuey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,787

965,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.67 USD

100 DOP = 1.49 EUR

100 DOP = 1.67 USD

100 DOP = 1.49 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Higuey Santo Domingo 130 km

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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 Santo Domingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Higuey is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Higuey. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $300 in Higuey versus $754 in Santo Domingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Santo Domingo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $926 per month in Higuey versus $1,100 in Santo Domingo – Higuey is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

It comes down to priorities – Higuey wins on affordability, Santo Domingo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.