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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $662 in Higuey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,052 in Higuey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,443 in Higuey.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 90% more expensive than in Higuey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Higuey 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.77 DOP 277

145.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$28.42 DOP 1,651

47.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.12 DOP 298

105.27%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.21 DOP 128

62.44%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.46 DOP 26.61

228.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.40 DOP 23.44

130.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.92 DOP 111

54.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.01 DOP 175

46.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.04 DOP 60.7

34.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.00 DOP 58.4

88.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.87 DOP 50.5

79.31%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.51 DOP 87.7

72.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$2.62 DOP 152

217.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.44 DOP 200

142.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$4.97 DOP 289

118.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.19 DOP 185

-15.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.87 DOP 50.7

73.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.99 DOP 173

-37.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.01 DOP 117

8.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.91 DOP 52.8

104.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.28 DOP 133

-2.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.10 DOP 63.7

-2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.84 DOP 48.74

29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.19 DOP 244

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.84 DOP 630

-3.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.72 DOP 99.9

-3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.48 DOP 144

5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.05 DOP 60.8

-48.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.50 DOP 203

-12.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.12 DOP 123

13.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.03 DOP 350

-48.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.31 DOP 76.3

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

13.89%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$31.6K DOP 1.8M

-26.17%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$50.8 DOP 2,952

60.03%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$25.82 DOP 1,501

-12.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$26.03 DOP 1,512

15.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$14.20 DOP 825

272.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.31 DOP 251

14.15%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$262 DOP 15.2K

-23.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$8,077 DOP 469.3K

-35.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$59.7 DOP 3,467

-39.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$52.4 DOP 3,042

-23.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$97.3 DOP 5,652

-18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$116 DOP 6,749

-25.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$158 DOP 9,210

517.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$109 DOP 6,360

329.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$275 DOP 16.0K

500.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$208 DOP 12.1K

477.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,947 DOP 113.2K

103.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,284 DOP 74.6K

414.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$466 DOP 27.1K

45.31%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Higuey: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $158 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 45% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Higuey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 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

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 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $158 in Higuey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $662 in Higuey – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $662 in Higuey versus $1,260 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 90% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.