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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Phuket is roughly 85% more expensive than Higuey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.63 DOP 274

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$28.62 DOP 1,691

63.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.18 DOP 306

70.66%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.21 DOP 131

35.75%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.49 DOP 28.96

51.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.44 DOP 25.89

-15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.92 DOP 113

27.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.98 DOP 176

21.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.99 DOP 58.8

128.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.05 DOP 61.8

75.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.86 DOP 50.9

160.47%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.53 DOP 90.4

51.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$2.50 DOP 148

686.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.44 DOP 204

6.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$5.19 DOP 307

152.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.19 DOP 188

6.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.85 DOP 50.3

92.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.04 DOP 179

-20.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.92 DOP 114

5.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.92 DOP 54.5

69.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.40 DOP 142

-37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.13 DOP 66.9

-9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.81 DOP 48.09

-39.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.28 DOP 253

3.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.42 DOP 675

65.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.67 DOP 98.9

6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.57 DOP 152

7.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.00 DOP 59.1

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.46 DOP 204

-9.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.20 DOP 130

-54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.04 DOP 357

133.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.26 DOP 74.6

7.14%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.8K DOP 1.6M

1.61%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$32.2K DOP 1.9M

2.16%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$51.6 DOP 3,047

142.35%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$24.97 DOP 1,476

-45.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$26.69 DOP 1,577

-30.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$14.15 DOP 836

334.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.22 DOP 249

117.77%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$264 DOP 15.6K

164.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,942 DOP 469.3K

96.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$60.8 DOP 3,591

-4.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$51.2 DOP 3,027

-31.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$95.9 DOP 5,669

17.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$115 DOP 6,799

-24.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$163 DOP 9,610

278.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$109 DOP 6,432

309.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$282 DOP 16.7K

626.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$211 DOP 12.5K

607.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.25

-56.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Higuey: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Higuey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $171 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

Phuket vs Higuey: 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 $1,847 in Phuket and $1,000 in Higuey 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: $616 in Phuket versus $163 in Higuey. 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 $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $666 in Higuey – 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, Phuket 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 85% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.