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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $662 in Higuey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,052 in Higuey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,443 in Higuey.

Living in Phuket is roughly 91% more expensive than in Higuey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Higuey 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.77 DOP 277

-6.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$28.42 DOP 1,651

60.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.12 DOP 298

71.09%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.21 DOP 128

34.39%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.46 DOP 26.61

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.40 DOP 23.44

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.92 DOP 111

31.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.01 DOP 175

24.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.04 DOP 60.7

106.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.00 DOP 58.4

82.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.87 DOP 50.5

150.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.51 DOP 87.7

49.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$2.62 DOP 152

663.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.44 DOP 200

5.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$4.97 DOP 289

172.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.19 DOP 185

1.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.87 DOP 50.7

88.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.99 DOP 173

-22.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.01 DOP 117

2.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.91 DOP 52.8

70.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.28 DOP 133

-35.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.10 DOP 63.7

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.84 DOP 48.74

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.19 DOP 244

3.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$10.84 DOP 630

71.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.72 DOP 99.9

8.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.48 DOP 144

6.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.05 DOP 60.8

35.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.50 DOP 203

-9.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.12 DOP 123

-51.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.03 DOP 350

130.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.31 DOP 76.3

2.29%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

6.19%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$31.6K DOP 1.8M

5.68%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$50.8 DOP 2,952

142.27%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$25.82 DOP 1,501

-46.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$26.03 DOP 1,512

-29.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$14.20 DOP 825

327.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.31 DOP 251

105.80%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$262 DOP 15.2K

162.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$8,077 DOP 469.3K

95.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$59.7 DOP 3,467

-0.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$52.4 DOP 3,042

-33.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$97.3 DOP 5,652

18.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$116 DOP 6,749

-27.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$158 DOP 9,210

292.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$109 DOP 6,360

307.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$275 DOP 16.0K

639.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$208 DOP 12.1K

617.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,947 DOP 113.2K

77.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,284 DOP 74.6K

97.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$466 DOP 27.1K

6.00%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Higuey: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $158 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 6% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Higuey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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

Phuket vs Higuey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Higuey is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $158 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 $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $662 in Higuey – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $662 in Higuey versus $1,264 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 91% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.