Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Higuey

For one person, living is cheaper in Higuey: $912 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Higuey
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Higuey Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Higuey

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Higuey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $912 in Higuey.

Mexico City $1,608
Higuey $912

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,495 in Higuey.

Mexico City $2,549
Higuey $1,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,078 in Higuey.

Mexico City $3,490
Higuey $2,078

Living in Mexico City is roughly 76% more expensive than in Higuey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Higuey is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$197

$9.75 DOP 586

8.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$898

$50.0 DOP 3,006

-3.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$192

$7.46 DOP 448

38.74%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.5

$1.99 DOP 120

85.43%

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

$1.67 MX$30.95

$1.04 DOP 62.6

60.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.50

$0.51 DOP 30.58

149.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.3

$2.51 DOP 151

27.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.6

$3.17 DOP 191

67.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.03

$1.19 DOP 71.7

44.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.5

$1.57 DOP 94.4

93.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.05

$1.35 DOP 81.2

43.70%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.6

$1.95 DOP 117

48.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$204

$7.30 DOP 438

50.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$5.29 DOP 318

74.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$281

$6.56 DOP 394

130.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.6

$3.00 DOP 180

1.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.05

$0.70 DOP 42.27

177.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.61

$1.46 DOP 87.4

39.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.99

$1.29 DOP 77.5

79.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.79

$1.16 DOP 69.6

75.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.43

$1.11 DOP 66.9

62.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.47

$0.59 DOP 35.31

150.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.54

$0.47 DOP 28.40

170.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.5

$5.38 DOP 323

-1.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$299

$10.11 DOP 608

59.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.83

$2.42 DOP 146

-18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.0

$2.87 DOP 172

48.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.67

$0.81 DOP 48.42

-61.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$367

$49.72 DOP 2,987

-60.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.13

$3.32 DOP 199

-44.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.91

$2.26 DOP 136

-76.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.3

$5.84 DOP 351

-9.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.05

$1.36 DOP 81.9

11.03%

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

$21.8K MX$404.0K

$24.8K DOP 1.5M

-12.25%

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

$24.0K MX$445.4K

$30.7K DOP 1.8M

-21.89%

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

$63.0 MX$1,170

$90.5 DOP 5,435

-30.39%

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

$27.39 MX$509

$16.40 DOP 985

67.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$662

$32.65 DOP 1,962

9.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,095

$24.74 DOP 1,486

138.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$439

$65.4 DOP 3,928

-63.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$7.38 DOP 443

-13.28%

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

$432 MX$8,015

$98.6 DOP 5,925

337.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.1K

$2,173 DOP 130.6K

425.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,267

$44.71 DOP 2,686

52.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$987

$45.17 DOP 2,714

17.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,002

$86.2 DOP 5,179

25.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,178

$79.6 DOP 4,781

47.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

$289 DOP 17.3K

285.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$209 DOP 12.6K

239.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.1K

$566 DOP 34.0K

357.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.1K

$401 DOP 24.1K

250.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.4K

$1,809 DOP 108.7K

100.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.6K

$1,240 DOP 74.5K

72.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$434 DOP 26.1K

118.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

11.5

-1.30%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Higuey: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Higuey

$209 22.9% 70.6% $501

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Higuey

$192 21.1% 39.9% $127

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Higuey

$149 16.4% 24.8% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Higuey

$115 12.6% 26.2% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Higuey

$140 15.3% 10.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Higuey

$40 4.3% 44.9% $32

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Higuey

$68 7.4% 165% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $289 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $50 in Higuey. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $192, with Higuey cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇩🇴 Higuey

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

123,787

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 DOP = 1.66 USD

100 DOP = 1.49 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Higuey 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Higuey

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

Mexico City vs Higuey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Higuey is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 2.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $289 in Higuey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $912 in Higuey – Higuey is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 60% less than in Higuey. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

For families, Higuey is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, 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, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.