Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Azua and Santo Domingo

For one person, living is cheaper in Azua: $665 a month against $1,105 in Santo Domingo, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Azua
Learn more

Azua Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Santo Domingo
Learn more

Santo Domingo Living Index

Jump to prices

Azua

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$665

/mo nomad

Santo Domingo

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$1,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Azua and in Santo Domingo

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 Santo Domingo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $665 in Azua versus $1,105 in Santo Domingo.

Azua $665
Santo Domingo $1,105

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,067 in Azua versus $1,733 in Santo Domingo.

Azua $1,067
Santo Domingo $1,733

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,470 in Azua versus $2,362 in Santo Domingo.

Azua $1,470
Santo Domingo $2,362

Living in Azua costs roughly 40% less than in Santo Domingo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Azua 51% lower, Santo Domingo 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.35 DOP 512

$10.06 DOP 616

-17.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.68 DOP 2,553

$50.2 DOP 3,074

-16.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 DOP 436

$7.65 DOP 469

-6.93%

Cappuccino

$1.36 DOP 83.1

$2.30 DOP 141

-40.87%

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

$0.66 DOP 40.19

$1.05 DOP 64.5

-37.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 DOP 24.72

$0.60 DOP 36.59

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 DOP 155

$2.49 DOP 152

1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 DOP 248

$3.24 DOP 198

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 DOP 70.8

$1.39 DOP 85.1

-16.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 DOP 109

$1.54 DOP 94.6

15.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 DOP 64.5

$1.57 DOP 96.1

-33.12%

Eggs

$1.45 DOP 89.1

$2.26 DOP 139

-35.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.14 DOP 376

$7.16 DOP 439

-14.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 DOP 220

$5.42 DOP 332

-33.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.77 DOP 292

$6.56 DOP 402

-27.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 DOP 229

$3.24 DOP 199

15.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 DOP 87.8

$0.81 DOP 49.71

76.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 DOP 204

$2.68 DOP 164

24.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 DOP 131

$1.86 DOP 114

15.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.56 DOP 218

$2.02 DOP 124

76.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 DOP 182

$2.21 DOP 135

34.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 DOP 56.7

$1.02 DOP 62.8

-8.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 DOP 96.6

$0.93 DOP 56.9

69.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.88 DOP 299

$5.39 DOP 330

-9.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.55 DOP 1,014

$10.14 DOP 621

63.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 DOP 180

$2.50 DOP 153

17.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 DOP 203

$2.85 DOP 175

16.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 DOP 34.14

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.15 DOP 1,112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 DOP 150

$3.38 DOP 207

-27.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 DOP 200

$2.16 DOP 132

51.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 DOP 359

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 DOP 87.1

$1.45 DOP 88.7

-2.07%

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

$15.0K DOP 921.1K

$23.3K DOP 1.4M

-35.41%

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

$25.0K DOP 1.5M

$33.2K DOP 2.0M

-24.84%

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

$96.2 DOP 5,894

$93.5 DOP 5,730

2.85%

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

$27.12 DOP 1,661

$31.73 DOP 1,944

-14.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.97 DOP 2,387

$36.43 DOP 2,232

6.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.56 DOP 1,198

$29.02 DOP 1,778

-32.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.12 DOP 1,478

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 DOP 309

$7.23 DOP 443

-30.15%

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

$150 DOP 9,183

$250 DOP 15.3K

-39.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,482 DOP 335.8K

$7,461 DOP 457.1K

-26.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.22 DOP 1,606

$45.03 DOP 2,759

-41.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 DOP 2,761

$45.51 DOP 2,788

-0.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 DOP 3,763

$85.9 DOP 5,262

-28.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 DOP 4,036

$125 DOP 7,640

-47.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 DOP 43.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 DOP 21.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 DOP 88.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 DOP 38.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,593 DOP 220.1K

$2,235 DOP 136.9K

60.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,192 DOP 73.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$586 DOP 35.9K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Azua

$235 35.4%

Santo Domingo

$218 19.8% 7.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Azua

$162 24.4%

Santo Domingo

$162 14.6% 0.4% $0.6

Eating Out

Azua

$129 19.5%

Santo Domingo

$157 14.2% 21% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Azua

$89 13.5%

Santo Domingo

$136 12.3% 51.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Azua

$30 4.5%

Santo Domingo

$43 3.9% 46.6% $14

Getting Around

Azua

$19 * 2.8%

Santo Domingo

$35 3.1% 83.8% $16

Accommodation & Living

Azua

- * 0%

Santo Domingo

$355 32.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Azua vs $50.0 in Santo Domingo. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $218, with Santo Domingo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Azua

🇩🇴 Santo Domingo

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

Same time as Azua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,264

965,040 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Azua Santo Domingo 83 km

From you

Azua
Santo Domingo

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 Santo Domingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Azua is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $997 in Azua and $1,657 in Santo Domingo 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 Santo Domingo pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $665 per month in Azua versus $1,105 in Santo Domingo – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $665 in Azua versus $1,105 in Santo Domingo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Azua but tight or insufficient in Santo Domingo. The gap between the two cities makes Azua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Santo Domingo 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 66% less than in Santo Domingo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.