Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Dominican Republic Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Dominican Republic

Name: Dominican Republic
Address: DO

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,540 per month in Costa Rica vs $745 in Dominican Republic, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,324 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,188 in Dominican Republic, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,107 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,630 in Dominican Republic, rent included.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 107% higher than in Dominican Republic on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 16% above the global median, while Dominican Republic is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ₡4,542

$6.83 DOP 397

48.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₡26.8K

$51.1 DOP 2,967

17.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,447

$6.62 DOP 384

49.85%

Cappuccino

$4.06 ₡1,822

$2.20 DOP 128

84.55%

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

$2.12 ₡949

$1.06 DOP 61.6

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₡774

$0.80 DOP 46.57

116.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 ₡1,342

$2.54 DOP 148

17.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 ₡2,016

$4.32 DOP 251

4.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₡907

$1.29 DOP 74.8

56.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,385

$1.60 DOP 93.1

93.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 ₡1,089

$1.31 DOP 76.3

85.50%

Eggs

$3.32 ₡1,487

$1.69 DOP 98.3

96.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 ₡4,116

$7.42 DOP 431

23.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 ₡4,176

$5.24 DOP 305

77.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ₡5,929

$8.91 DOP 518

48.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,124

$2.93 DOP 170

61.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.89 DOP 51.7

80.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.45 DOP 142

32.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 ₡1,325

$1.59 DOP 92.5

86.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 ₡1,310

$1.54 DOP 89.2

89.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 ₡1,245

$2.20 DOP 128

26.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡460

$0.89 DOP 51.6

14.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₡1,100

$0.84 DOP 48.72

191.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 ₡2,270

$5.15 DOP 299

-1.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.79 ₡7,530

$10.67 DOP 620

57.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₡1,030

$2.53 DOP 147

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,259

$3.18 DOP 185

-11.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₡460

$0.66 DOP 38.15

56.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.91 ₡21.9K

$33.64 DOP 1,955

45.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ₡811

$3.41 DOP 198

-46.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡903

$2.41 DOP 140

-16.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ₡3,443

$5.64 DOP 328

36.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡674

$1.28 DOP 74.3

17.19%

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

$36.2K ₡16.2M

$26.4K DOP 1.5M

37.30%

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

$36.0K ₡16.1M

$31.5K DOP 1.8M

14.27%

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

$87.9 ₡39.4K

$66.2 DOP 3,845

32.79%

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

$25.69 ₡11.5K

$20.65 DOP 1,200

24.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 ₡24.4K

$37.89 DOP 2,202

43.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 ₡25.5K

$26.11 DOP 1,517

117.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 ₡12.9K

$13.54 DOP 787

111.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 ₡4,034

$6.23 DOP 362

44.46%

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

$556 ₡249.4K

$241 DOP 14.0K

131.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K ₡4.6M

$5,961 DOP 346.4K

70.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 ₡32.9K

$43.30 DOP 2,516

69.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 ₡23.8K

$51.3 DOP 2,978

3.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.3K

$80.9 DOP 4,703

46.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₡46.3K

$91.3 DOP 5,308

12.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 ₡358.2K

$457 DOP 26.6K

74.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₡243.5K

$248 DOP 14.4K

118.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 ₡659.7K

$870 DOP 50.5K

69.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ₡473.3K

$473 DOP 27.5K

123.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,461 ₡1.1M

$2,141 DOP 124.4K

14.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₡735.2K

$1,165 DOP 67.7K

40.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ₡486.0K

$588 DOP 34.2K

84.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

13.16

-19.98%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: July 25, 2026

Last update for Dominican Republic: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $752 in Costa Rica vs $229 in Dominican Republic. For reference, capital cities sit at $873 in San Jose and $564 in Santo Domingo.

Average salary: $1,101 in Costa Rica vs $559 in Dominican Republic. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 228% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 37% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 63% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 97% higher in Costa Rica.

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

Costa Rica vs Dominican Republic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dominican Republic is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 128% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Dominican Republic, contributing to the overall 128% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$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.

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.