😐A single person spends $1,536 per month in Costa Rica vs $738 in Dominican Republic, rent included.
😐A couple spends around $2,320 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,183 in Dominican Republic, rent included.
😐A family of three spends $3,104 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,628 in Dominican Republic, rent included.
😐Costa Rica costs about 108% more than Dominican Republic on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.
📊Costa Rica sits 15% above the global median, while Dominican Republic is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.69₡4,413
$6.76DOP 402
43.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.8₡27.2K
$51.8DOP 3,082
15.45%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.65₡4,398
$6.74DOP 401
43.18%
Cappuccino
$3.99₡1,817
$2.16DOP 129
84.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18₡993
$1.08DOP 64.5
101.85%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64₡745
$0.85DOP 50.6
92.94%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.05₡1,387
$2.52DOP 150
21.03%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42₡2,012
$4.15DOP 247
6.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$2.05₡934
$1.29DOP 76.7
58.91%
White Bread(500g)
$3.21₡1,464
$1.66DOP 98.9
93.37%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.49₡1,133
$1.31DOP 77.9
90.08%
Eggs
$3.29₡1,497
$1.74DOP 104
89.08%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.11₡4,148
$7.46DOP 444
22.12%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.70₡4,417
$5.41DOP 322
79.30%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.19₡6,010
$8.99DOP 535
46.72%
Apples(1kg)
$4.53₡2,063
$3.05DOP 182
48.52%
Banana(1kg)
$1.57₡715
$0.94DOP 55.9
67.02%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.20₡1,460
$2.36DOP 140
35.59%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.94₡1,339
$1.60DOP 95.2
83.75%
Potato(1kg)
$2.99₡1,361
$1.61DOP 95.6
85.71%
Onion(1kg)
$2.71₡1,235
$2.23DOP 133
21.52%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.03₡469
$0.93DOP 55.6
10.75%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.50₡1,138
$0.81DOP 48.34
208.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.05₡2,300
$5.10DOP 304
-0.98%
Wine(Bottle)
$16.18₡7,372
$10.13DOP 603
59.72%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.39₡1,091
$2.64DOP 157
-9.47%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77₡1,260
$3.29DOP 196
-15.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.95₡431
$0.62DOP 36.84
53.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$48.97₡22.3K
$33.67DOP 2,004
45.44%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.86₡848
$3.35DOP 199
-44.48%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.01₡915
$2.38DOP 142
-15.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.75₡3,532
$5.66DOP 337
36.93%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.50₡684
$1.29DOP 76.6
16.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K₡16.8M
$26.2KDOP 1.6M
40.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.5K₡16.2M
$31.6KDOP 1.9M
12.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$87.5₡39.8K
$68.1DOP 4,053
28.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.82₡11.8K
$20.70DOP 1,232
24.73%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.5₡24.8K
$38.37DOP 2,284
42.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$56.4₡25.7K
$25.47DOP 1,516
121.59%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.13₡13.3K
$13.42DOP 799
117.06%
Cinema Ticket
$9.14₡4,164
$6.15DOP 366
48.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$555₡252.8K
$240DOP 14.3K
130.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,828₡4.5M
$5,971DOP 355.4K
64.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.9₡33.7K
$44.22DOP 2,632
67.14%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.2₡24.7K
$52.5DOP 3,123
3.26%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$119₡54.0K
$79.5DOP 4,733
49.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102₡46.5K
$92.2DOP 5,486
10.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$822₡374.6K
$450DOP 26.8K
82.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$549₡250.1K
$253DOP 15.0K
117.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,469₡669.1K
$885DOP 52.7K
66.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,023₡466.2K
$457DOP 27.2K
123.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,327₡1.1M
$2,194DOP 130.6K
6.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,612₡734.5K
$1,201DOP 71.5K
34.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,076₡490.3K
$622DOP 37.0K
72.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.53
13.16
-19.98%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Costa Rica: April 25, 2026
Última actualización para Dominican Republic: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $776 in Costa Rica vs $229 in Dominican Republic. For reference, capital cities sit at $872 in San Jose and $572 in Santo Domingo.
💰Average salary: $1,110 in Costa Rica vs $573 in Dominican Republic. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 239% higher in Costa Rica.
⭐Dining out costs 34% more in Costa Rica.
⭐Public transport is 63% more expensive in Costa Rica.
⭐Salaries are 94% higher in Costa Rica.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Costa Rica vs Dominican Republic: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Which country is cheaper: Costa Rica or Dominican Republic?
Dominican Republic is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 135% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
Is rent more expensive in Costa Rica or Dominican Republic?
Housing costs more in Costa Rica, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Costa Rica consistently has higher rents.
How do daily expenses compare in Costa Rica vs Dominican Republic?
Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Dominican Republic, contributing to the overall 135% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
Can you live in both Costa Rica and Dominican Republic on $2,000 per month?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Dominican Republic, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Which country is better for expats: Costa Rica or Dominican Republic?
Dominican Republic is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.
Costa Rica vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado