Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bonao and Santo Domingo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bonao: $678 a month against $1,100 in Santo Domingo, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bonao, Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Bonao
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$678
/mo nomad
Santo Domingo
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$1,100
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bonao 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 Bonao and in Santo Domingo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $678 in Bonao versus $1,100 in Santo Domingo.

  • Bonao $678
  • Santo Domingo $1,100

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,117 in Bonao versus $1,735 in Santo Domingo.

  • Bonao $1,117
  • Santo Domingo $1,735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,556 in Bonao versus $2,370 in Santo Domingo.

  • Bonao $1,556
  • Santo Domingo $2,370

Living in Bonao costs roughly 38% less than in Santo Domingo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bonao 50% lower, Santo Domingo 19% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bonao
Santo Domingo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.74 DOP 585
$9.66 DOP 580
0.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.85 DOP 2,934
$52.4 DOP 3,148
-6.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.64 DOP 459
$7.56 DOP 454
1.06%
Cappuccino
$1.93 DOP 116
$2.42 DOP 145
-20.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 DOP 63.5
$1.05 DOP 63.2
0.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 DOP 34.39
$0.59 DOP 35.33
-3.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.51 DOP 151
$2.49 DOP 150
0.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 DOP 189
$3.02 DOP 181
3.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bonao
Santo Domingo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.02 DOP 61.5
$1.37 DOP 82.0
-25.55%
White Bread (500g)
$1.03 DOP 61.8
$1.58 DOP 95.0
-34.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.66 DOP 39.83
$1.55 DOP 93.4
-57.42%
Eggs
$1.16 DOP 69.9
$2.37 DOP 142
-51.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.84 DOP 291
$7.16 DOP 430
-32.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.45 DOP 327
$5.46 DOP 328
-0.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.67 DOP 400
$6.50 DOP 390
2.62%
Apples (1kg)
$2.34 DOP 141
$3.22 DOP 193
-27.33%
Banana (1kg)
$0.64 DOP 38.14
$0.82 DOP 49.40
-21.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.63 DOP 158
$2.76 DOP 166
-4.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.40 DOP 84.3
$1.82 DOP 109
-23.08%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 DOP 121
$2.04 DOP 123
-1.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.54 DOP 92.7
$2.15 DOP 129
-28.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 DOP 61.2
$1.00 DOP 60.1
2.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.47 DOP 28.11
$0.99 DOP 59.6
-52.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.19 DOP 312
$5.46 DOP 328
-4.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.86 DOP 412
$10.43 DOP 627
-34.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 DOP 122
$2.52 DOP 151
-19.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 DOP 170
$2.87 DOP 173
-1.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Bonao
Santo Domingo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.58 DOP 34.58
$0.60 DOP 36.19
-3.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.90 DOP 2,096
$16.72 DOP 1,004
108.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.19 DOP 192
$3.37 DOP 202
-5.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.26 DOP 136
$2.25 DOP 135
0.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.48 DOP 149
$5.65 DOP 339
-56.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 DOP 86.2
$1.41 DOP 84.5
1.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.2K DOP 1.8M
$29.1K DOP 1.7M
0.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.2K DOP 2.0M
$33.3K DOP 2.0M
-0.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bonao
Santo Domingo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.6 DOP 5,503
$91.9 DOP 5,520
-0.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.86 DOP 1,854
$31.92 DOP 1,917
-3.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.71 DOP 2,144
$36.52 DOP 2,194
-2.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bonao
Santo Domingo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$29.86 DOP 1,794
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.52 DOP 1,473
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.34 DOP 441
$7.27 DOP 437
0.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bonao
Santo Domingo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$246 DOP 14.8K
$247 DOP 14.8K
-0.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,464 DOP 448.3K
$8,515 DOP 511.4K
-12.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bonao
Santo Domingo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.87 DOP 2,695
$45.01 DOP 2,703
-0.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.00 DOP 2,763
$47.24 DOP 2,838
-2.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.6 DOP 5,084
$88.4 DOP 5,306
-4.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 DOP 7,262
$122 DOP 7,332
-0.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bonao
Santo Domingo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$754 DOP 45.3K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$351 DOP 21.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,450 DOP 87.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$623 DOP 37.4K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,511 DOP 150.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,336 DOP 80.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bonao
Santo Domingo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$675 DOP 40.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.56
13.56
-

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

Last update for Bonao: November 1, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Bonao
$171
Santo Domingo
$220 28.7% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bonao
$158
Santo Domingo
$160 1.4% $2.2
Eating Out
Bonao
$149
Santo Domingo
$154 3.1% $4.7
Clothing & Footwear
Bonao
$133
Santo Domingo
$136 2.1% $2.8
Getting Around
Bonao
$52
Santo Domingo
$34 34.7% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Bonao
$15 *
Santo Domingo
$44 202% $30
Accommodation & Living
Bonao
- *
Santo Domingo
$351

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $49 in Bonao vs $52 in Santo Domingo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $220 per month, with Bonao cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇴 Bonao
🇩🇴 Santo Domingo
🕒 Local time
16:57 4:57 PM
16:57 4:57 PM
Same time as Bonao
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
158,034
965,040 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 60.06 DOP (100 DOP = 1.67 USD). 1 EUR = 67.17 DOP (100 DOP = 1.49 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bonao Santo Domingo 71 km
From you
  • Bonao
  • 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
Bonao vs Santo Domingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bonao and in Santo Domingo?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $678 in Bonao and $1,100 in Santo Domingo, so Bonao is about 38% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Bonao compared to Santo Domingo?
You’d need roughly $1,018 in Bonao and $1,650 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.
How do commuting costs compare in Bonao and in Santo Domingo?
A monthly transit pass in Santo Domingo runs roughly 52% less than in Bonao. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Bonao and Santo Domingo?
Childcare runs $246 in Bonao versus $247 in Santo Domingo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How does quality of life compare between Bonao and Santo Domingo?
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.

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