Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Higuey

For one person, living is cheaper in Higuey: $912 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Higuey
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Higuey Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Higuey

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket 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 Phuket and in Higuey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $912 in Higuey.

Phuket $1,278
Higuey $912

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,495 in Higuey.

Phuket $2,216
Higuey $1,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,078 in Higuey.

Phuket $3,154
Higuey $2,078

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than in Higuey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Higuey 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$9.75 DOP 586

-54.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$50.0 DOP 3,006

-35.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.46 DOP 448

18.10%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$1.99 DOP 120

42.21%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$1.04 DOP 62.6

-16.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.51 DOP 30.58

-3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.51 DOP 151

1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.17 DOP 191

16.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.19 DOP 71.7

39.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.57 DOP 94.4

-7.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.35 DOP 81.2

11.11%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.95 DOP 117

7.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$7.30 DOP 438

161.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.29 DOP 318

-37.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.56 DOP 394

66.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$3.00 DOP 180

-2.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$0.70 DOP 42.27

141.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.46 DOP 87.4

54.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.29 DOP 77.5

61.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.16 DOP 69.6

30.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.11 DOP 66.9

24.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.59 DOP 35.31

81.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.47 DOP 28.40

10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.38 DOP 323

-21.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$10.11 DOP 608

85.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.42 DOP 146

-24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.87 DOP 172

-1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.81 DOP 48.42

79.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$49.72 DOP 2,987

13.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.32 DOP 199

-9.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$2.26 DOP 136

-54.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$5.84 DOP 351

-36.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.36 DOP 81.9

8.09%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$24.8K DOP 1.5M

8.01%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$30.7K DOP 1.8M

-13.08%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$90.5 DOP 5,435

6.50%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$16.40 DOP 985

-31.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$32.65 DOP 1,962

-48.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$24.74 DOP 1,486

171.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$65.4 DOP 3,928

-83.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.38 DOP 443

1.63%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$98.6 DOP 5,925

382.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$2,173 DOP 130.6K

418.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$44.71 DOP 2,686

39.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$45.17 DOP 2,714

-37.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$86.2 DOP 5,179

9.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$79.6 DOP 4,781

7.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$289 DOP 17.3K

147.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$209 DOP 12.6K

134.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$566 DOP 34.0K

240.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$401 DOP 24.1K

256.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$1,809 DOP 108.7K

130.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$1,240 DOP 74.5K

145.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$434 DOP 26.1K

15.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.5

-51.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Higuey: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Higuey

$209 22.9% 57.4% $282

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Higuey

$192 21.1% 27.8% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Higuey

$140 15.3% 12.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Higuey

$115 12.6% 5.6% $6.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Higuey

$149 16.4% 22.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Higuey

$40 4.3% 52% $43

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Higuey

$68 7.4% 4.3% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $289 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 16% 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: $32 in Phuket vs $50 in Higuey. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $192, with Higuey cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇩🇴 Higuey

🕒 Local time

17:48 5:48 PM

06:48 6:48 AM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

123,787

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 DOP = 1.66 USD

100 DOP = 1.49 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 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 THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Higuey 16,750 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
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

Phuket vs Higuey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Higuey is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Phuket, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $289 in Higuey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $912 in Higuey – Higuey is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Higuey runs roughly 12% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Higuey are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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