Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Azua and Puerto Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in Azua: $661 a month against $808 in Puerto Plata, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Puerto Plata outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

32

Cost of Living Index in Azua
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Azua Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Plata
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Puerto Plata Living Index

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Azua

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$661

/mo nomad

Puerto Plata

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Azua and in Puerto Plata

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Azua and in Puerto Plata actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $661 in Azua versus $808 in Puerto Plata.

Azua $661
Puerto Plata $808

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,059 in Azua versus $1,325 in Puerto Plata.

Azua $1,059
Puerto Plata $1,325

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,458 in Azua versus $1,841 in Puerto Plata.

Azua $1,458
Puerto Plata $1,841

Living in Azua costs roughly 18% less than in Puerto Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Azua 51% lower, Puerto Plata 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.40 DOP 514

$5.54 DOP 340

51.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.61 DOP 2,488

$32.63 DOP 1,999

24.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 DOP 432

$7.35 DOP 450

-3.95%

Cappuccino

$1.29 DOP 78.8

$1.45 DOP 89.0

-11.03%

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

$0.67 DOP 41.09

$0.69 DOP 42.34

-2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 DOP 24.64

$0.32 DOP 19.58

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 DOP 150

$1.92 DOP 117

27.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 DOP 241

$2.37 DOP 145

65.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 DOP 70.5

$1.20 DOP 73.7

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 DOP 107

$1.58 DOP 97.1

10.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 DOP 62.6

$1.01 DOP 61.8

0.99%

Eggs

$1.49 DOP 91.1

$1.31 DOP 80.4

13.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 DOP 386

$3.81 DOP 233

65.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 DOP 220

$5.37 DOP 329

-32.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.58 DOP 281

$5.44 DOP 333

-15.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 DOP 229

$2.37 DOP 145

57.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 DOP 84.2

$0.82 DOP 50.5

67.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 DOP 205

$1.67 DOP 103

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 DOP 132

$0.88 DOP 53.7

145.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 DOP 220

$1.03 DOP 63.4

247.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 DOP 173

$1.19 DOP 72.7

137.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 DOP 58.4

$0.84 DOP 51.2

13.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 DOP 101

$0.93 DOP 57.0

77.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.89 DOP 300

$2.47 DOP 152

97.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.35 DOP 1,002

$9.20 DOP 564

77.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 DOP 179

$2.03 DOP 124

43.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 DOP 206

$2.94 DOP 180

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 DOP 57.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 DOP 153

$3.26 DOP 200

-23.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 DOP 197

$2.26 DOP 139

42.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 DOP 351

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 DOP 88.1

$1.26 DOP 77.5

14.29%

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

$14.8K DOP 909.2K

$29.4K DOP 1.8M

-49.51%

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

$25.0K DOP 1.5M

$34.4K DOP 2.1M

-27.31%

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

$95.6 DOP 5,855

$41.41 DOP 2,537

130.81%

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

$26.94 DOP 1,650

$22.67 DOP 1,389

18.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.63 DOP 2,366

$35.58 DOP 2,179

8.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.54 DOP 1,197

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 DOP 300

$4.81 DOP 295

1.66%

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

$147 DOP 8,984

$250 DOP 15.3K

-41.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,425 DOP 332.3K

$7,310 DOP 447.8K

-25.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.87 DOP 1,585

$18.91 DOP 1,158

36.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.00 DOP 2,757

$12.87 DOP 788

249.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.2 DOP 3,747

$86.1 DOP 5,274

-28.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.3 DOP 4,002

$120 DOP 7,375

-45.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 DOP 26.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 DOP 18.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 DOP 50.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 DOP 41.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,506 DOP 214.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$331 DOP 20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.56

-18.88%

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

Last update for Azua: October 19, 2026

Last update for Puerto Plata: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Azua

$235 35.5%

Puerto Plata

$174 21.5% 25.9% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Azua

$161 24.4%

Puerto Plata

$100 12.3% 38.2% $61

Eating Out

Azua

$128 19.4%

Puerto Plata

$102 12.6% 20.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Azua

$89 13.4%

Puerto Plata

$107 13.3% 20.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Azua

$29 4.4%

Puerto Plata

$9.6 * 1.2% 67.2% $20

Getting Around

Azua

$19 * 2.8%

Puerto Plata

$18 * 2.3% 1.5% $0.3

Accommodation & Living

Azua

- * 0%

Puerto Plata

$297 36.8%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $41.00 in Azua vs $33.00 in Puerto Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $174 per month, with Puerto Plata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Azua

🇩🇴 Puerto Plata

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

Same time as Azua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,264

130,000

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Azua Puerto Plata 150 km

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Azua
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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

Azua vs Puerto Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Azua is cheaper overall, especially in clothing. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $991 in Azua and $1,213 in Puerto Plata 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.

Shoppers in Puerto Plata pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $661 per month in Azua versus $808 in Puerto Plata – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Azua gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Azua and Puerto Plata 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 Azua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Puerto Plata. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.