Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Higuey Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Higuey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $666 in Higuey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,065 in Higuey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,464 in Higuey.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 93% more expensive than Higuey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Higuey 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$4.63 DOP 274

157.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$28.62 DOP 1,691

49.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.18 DOP 306

104.44%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.21 DOP 131

63.80%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.49 DOP 28.96

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.44 DOP 25.89

113.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.92 DOP 113

60.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.98 DOP 176

49.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.99 DOP 58.8

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.05 DOP 61.8

79.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.86 DOP 50.9

89.53%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.53 DOP 90.4

72.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$2.50 DOP 148

228.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.44 DOP 204

140.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$5.19 DOP 307

113.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.19 DOP 188

-16.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.85 DOP 50.3

76.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$3.04 DOP 179

-34.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.92 DOP 114

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.92 DOP 54.5

94.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.40 DOP 142

-9.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.13 DOP 66.9

-4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.81 DOP 48.09

28.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.28 DOP 253

-7.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.42 DOP 675

-10.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.67 DOP 98.9

3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.57 DOP 152

-2.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.00 DOP 59.1

-48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.46 DOP 204

-9.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.20 DOP 130

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.04 DOP 357

-48.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.26 DOP 74.6

0.79%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$26.8K DOP 1.6M

15.44%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$32.2K DOP 1.9M

-27.65%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$51.6 DOP 3,047

59.03%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$24.97 DOP 1,476

-10.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$26.69 DOP 1,577

11.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$14.15 DOP 836

266.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.22 DOP 249

17.77%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$264 DOP 15.6K

-25.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,942 DOP 469.3K

-33.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$60.8 DOP 3,591

-40.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$51.2 DOP 3,027

-21.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$95.9 DOP 5,669

-16.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$115 DOP 6,799

-22.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$163 DOP 9,610

492.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$109 DOP 6,432

326.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$282 DOP 16.7K

466.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$211 DOP 12.5K

473.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.25

-6.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Higuey: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $163 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in Higuey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 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

Playa del Carmen 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 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $163 in Higuey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $666 in Higuey – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $666 in Higuey versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Higuey but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. 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 Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen 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 93% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.