For one person, living is cheaper in the Dominican Republic: $1,044 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Australia and in the Dominican Republic
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in the Dominican Republic actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $1,044 in the Dominican Republic, rent included.
Australia $2,626
Dominican Republic $1,044
A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $1,664 in the Dominican Republic, rent included.
Australia $3,810
Dominican Republic $1,664
A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $2,284 in the Dominican Republic, rent included.
Australia $4,994
Dominican Republic $2,284
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in the Dominican Republic ($589–$1,424), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Australia is about 152% higher than in the Dominican Republic on average.
📊
Australia sits 93% above the global median, while the Dominican Republic is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Australia
Dominican Republic
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.65A$25.10
$8.41DOP 508
109.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.2A$121
$49.89DOP 3,014
70.80%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.09A$15.78
$7.52DOP 454
47.47%
Cappuccino
$3.90A$5.54
$2.02DOP 122
93.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85A$4.05
$0.94DOP 56.9
203.19%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31A$3.29
$0.65DOP 39.09
255.38%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.53A$10.71
$2.46DOP 149
206.10%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$8.59A$12.21
$4.21DOP 254
104.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Australia
Dominican Republic
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.76A$2.50
$1.32DOP 79.8
33.33%
White Bread(500g)
$2.81A$3.99
$1.74DOP 105
61.49%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24A$3.19
$1.46DOP 88.0
53.42%
Eggs
$5.02A$7.15
$1.80DOP 109
178.89%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.87A$14.03
$7.59DOP 459
30.04%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.32A$13.25
$5.73DOP 346
62.65%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.86A$21.14
$6.66DOP 402
123.12%
Apples(1kg)
$3.82A$5.43
$3.18DOP 192
20.13%
Banana(1kg)
$2.92A$4.16
$0.88DOP 53.1
231.82%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.13A$4.46
$2.64DOP 159
18.56%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.81A$6.84
$1.73DOP 104
178.03%
Potato(1kg)
$2.80A$3.98
$2.16DOP 131
29.63%
Onion(1kg)
$2.38A$3.38
$2.08DOP 126
14.42%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.37A$3.37
$0.93DOP 56.3
154.84%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65A$2.35
$0.91DOP 55.2
81.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$39.13A$55.7
$5.29DOP 319
639.70%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.93A$19.81
$10.14DOP 612
37.38%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$4.96A$7.05
$2.64DOP 160
87.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.17A$7.36
$3.07DOP 186
68.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Australia
Dominican Republic
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.42A$3.44
$0.67DOP 40.44
261.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$94.6A$135
$19.30DOP 1,166
390.21%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.49A$4.97
$3.20DOP 193
9.06%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.60A$2.27
$2.15DOP 130
-25.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$39.84A$56.7
$5.66DOP 342
603.89%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.39A$1.98
$1.39DOP 84.3
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0KA$42.7K
$24.9KDOP 1.5M
20.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8KA$36.6K
$32.7KDOP 2.0M
-21.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
Dominican Republic
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$205A$292
$91.6DOP 5,536
123.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.33A$40.31
$24.46DOP 1,478
15.82%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.8A$83.6
$35.32DOP 2,134
66.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Australia
Dominican Republic
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$55.7A$79.2
$30.52DOP 1,844
82.34%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.57A$27.84
$22.31DOP 1,348
-12.28%
Cinema Ticket
$15.38A$21.87
$6.39DOP 386
140.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Australia
Dominican Republic
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$2,145A$3,052
$209DOP 12.6K
927.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.3KA$26.1K
$6,527DOP 394.3K
181.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Australia
Dominican Republic
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.3A$111
$39.92DOP 2,412
96.17%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.3A$80.0
$45.07DOP 2,723
24.85%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115A$164
$81.1DOP 4,902
41.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123A$175
$105DOP 6,359
17.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Australia
Dominican Republic
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,591A$2,263
$595DOP 35.9K
167.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,293A$1,839
$330DOP 19.9K
292.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,524A$3,591
$1,245DOP 75.2K
102.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,005A$2,853
$626DOP 37.8K
220.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$8,751A$12.4K
$2,357DOP 142.4K
271.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$6,260A$8,905
$1,245DOP 75.2K
403.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Australia
Dominican Republic
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,984A$5,667
$541DOP 32.7K
636.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.93
12.99
-54.35%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026
Last update for the Dominican Republic: October 24, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Australia
$1.3K 49.2%
Dominican Republic
$330 31.6% ↓ 74.5%$963
🛒Groceries & Markets
Australia
$374 14.3%
Dominican Republic
$220 21.1% ↓ 41.1%$154
🍽Eating Out
Australia
$297 11.3%
Dominican Republic
$141 13.5% ↓ 52.4%$155
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
$292 11.1%
Dominican Republic
$151 14.5% ↓ 48.2%$141
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Australia
$168 6.4%
Dominican Republic
$122 11.7% ↓ 27.2%$46
🚌Getting Around
Australia
$116 4.4%
Dominican Republic
$36 3.4% ↓ 69%$80
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Australia
$86 3.3%
Dominican Republic
$43 4.2% ↓ 49.9%$43
🏠Accommodation & Living
Australia
$2K 40.2%
Dominican Republic
$626 27.4% ↓ 68.8%$1.4K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Australia
$848 17%
Dominican Republic
$496 21.7% ↓ 41.6%$353
🍽Eating Out
Australia
$1K 20.4%
Dominican Republic
$533 23.3% ↓ 47.7%$485
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
$320 6.4%
Dominican Republic
$176 7.7% ↓ 45.1%$145
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Australia
$373 7.5%
Dominican Republic
$271 11.9% ↓ 27.2%$101
🚌Getting Around
Australia
$236 4.7%
Dominican Republic
$73 3.2% ↓ 69.1%$163
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Australia
$192 3.9%
Dominican Republic
$109 4.8% ↓ 43.4%$84
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $565 in the Dominican Republic. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $709 in Santo Domingo.
💰Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $478 in the Dominican Republic. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 145% higher in Australia.
⭐Dining out costs 95% more in Australia.
⭐Public transport is 163% more expensive in Australia.
⭐Salaries are about 8.1 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.
Australia→Dominican Republic15,750 km≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
Australia
Dominican Republic
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
Australia vs Dominican Republic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than the Dominican Republic?
The Dominican Republic is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 60% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $565 in the Dominican Republic.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in the Dominican Republic – part of why living there is about 60% cheaper overall.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Australia or in the Dominican Republic?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the Dominican Republic, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Australia or to the Dominican Republic?
The Dominican Republic is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.