Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Higuey Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Higuey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $662 in Higuey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,052 in Higuey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,443 in Higuey.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 122% more expensive than in Higuey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Higuey is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$4.77 DOP 277

175.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$28.42 DOP 1,651

88.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.12 DOP 298

82.23%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.21 DOP 128

67.42%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.46 DOP 26.61

247.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.40 DOP 23.44

180.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.92 DOP 111

63.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.01 DOP 175

61.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.04 DOP 60.7

58.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.00 DOP 58.4

171.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$0.87 DOP 50.5

119.54%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.51 DOP 87.7

71.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$2.62 DOP 152

274.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.44 DOP 200

145.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$4.97 DOP 289

140.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.19 DOP 185

-7.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$0.87 DOP 50.7

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.99 DOP 173

-31.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.01 DOP 117

2.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.91 DOP 52.8

136.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.28 DOP 133

-0.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.10 DOP 63.7

26.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.84 DOP 48.74

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$4.19 DOP 244

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$10.84 DOP 630

61.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.72 DOP 99.9

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.48 DOP 144

46.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.05 DOP 60.8

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$3.50 DOP 203

-60.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.12 DOP 123

-86.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$6.03 DOP 350

-12.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.31 DOP 76.3

3.82%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

-27.01%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$31.6K DOP 1.8M

-25.27%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$50.8 DOP 2,952

-20.20%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$25.82 DOP 1,501

6.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$26.03 DOP 1,512

16.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$14.20 DOP 825

267.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$4.31 DOP 251

43.62%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$262 DOP 15.2K

62.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$8,077 DOP 469.3K

32.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$59.7 DOP 3,467

-2.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$52.4 DOP 3,042

-14.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$97.3 DOP 5,652

6.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$116 DOP 6,749

-6.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$158 DOP 9,210

539.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$109 DOP 6,360

468.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$275 DOP 16.0K

670.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$208 DOP 12.1K

486.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,947 DOP 113.2K

94.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,284 DOP 74.6K

64.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$466 DOP 27.1K

125.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.25

-7.43%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Higuey: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $158 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 126% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Higuey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $170 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

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

Higuey is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 122% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 126% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $158 in Higuey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,472 per month in Mexico City versus $662 in Higuey – a 122% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $662 in Higuey versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Higuey but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Higuey 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 122% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.