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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $666 in Higuey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,063 in Higuey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,461 in Higuey.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 91% more expensive than 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

$11.87 MX$204

$4.60 DOP 270

158.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$28.81 DOP 1,687

48.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.00 DOP 293

113.00%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.24 DOP 131

54.02%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.49 DOP 28.71

206.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.43 DOP 25.31

120.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.89 DOP 110

60.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.92 DOP 171

57.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.05 DOP 61.2

31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.06 DOP 61.8

74.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.81 DOP 47.48

98.77%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.51 DOP 88.5

71.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$2.51 DOP 147

229.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.34 DOP 196

150.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$4.98 DOP 292

114.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.18 DOP 186

-17.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.85 DOP 49.76

75.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$3.02 DOP 177

-36.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.93 DOP 113

8.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.90 DOP 52.8

106.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.38 DOP 139

-5.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.09 DOP 63.6

-2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.87 DOP 51.1

25.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.20 DOP 246

-1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.75 DOP 630

-3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.74 DOP 102

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.62 DOP 154

-0.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.04 DOP 60.9

-48.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.45 DOP 202

-9.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.19 DOP 128

14.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.80 DOP 340

-45.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.28 DOP 74.8

-0.78%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$27.0K DOP 1.6M

12.59%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.5K DOP 1.8M

-25.25%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$51.2 DOP 2,996

62.27%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$25.39 DOP 1,487

-10.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$26.20 DOP 1,535

12.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$14.60 DOP 855

249.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.22 DOP 247

16.82%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$268 DOP 15.7K

-26.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,089 DOP 473.9K

-34.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$59.9 DOP 3,507

-38.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$51.0 DOP 2,986

-21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$96.4 DOP 5,650

-17.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$116 DOP 6,809

-23.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$159 DOP 9,295

502.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$109 DOP 6,370

338.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$281 DOP 16.5K

484.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$213 DOP 12.5K

475.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Higuey: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $159 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 $250 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 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $999 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $159 in Higuey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $666 in Higuey – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $666 in Higuey versus $1,271 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 91% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.