Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic

Name: Dominican Republic
Address: DO

For one person, living is cheaper in the Dominican Republic: $1,044 a month against $1,821 in Costa Rica, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in the Dominican Republic
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Dominican Republic Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$1,044

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica and in the Dominican Republic

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

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,044 in the Dominican Republic, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,821
Dominican Republic $1,044

A couple spends around $2,773 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,664 in the Dominican Republic, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,773
Dominican Republic $1,664

A family of three spends $3,725 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,284 in the Dominican Republic, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,725
Dominican Republic $2,284

The regional cost range is wider in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114) than in the Dominican Republic ($589–$1,424), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 74% higher than in the Dominican Republic on average.

Costa Rica sits 34% above the global median, while the Dominican Republic is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₡5,085

$8.41 DOP 510

33.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$49.89 DOP 3,021

9.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,975

$7.52 DOP 455

46.54%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ₡1,999

$2.02 DOP 122

119.31%

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

$2.34 ₡1,055

$0.94 DOP 57.1

148.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡829

$0.65 DOP 39.17

183.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,473

$2.46 DOP 149

32.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,054

$4.21 DOP 255

8.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,105

$1.32 DOP 80.0

85.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$1.74 DOP 105

104.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,245

$1.46 DOP 88.2

89.04%

Eggs

$3.97 ₡1,794

$1.80 DOP 109

120.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₡4,728

$7.59 DOP 460

37.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,507

$5.73 DOP 347

74.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,278

$6.66 DOP 403

108.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,283

$3.18 DOP 192

59.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡764

$0.88 DOP 53.2

92.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,558

$2.64 DOP 160

30.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,460

$1.73 DOP 105

86.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,555

$2.16 DOP 131

59.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,465

$2.08 DOP 126

56.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$0.93 DOP 56.4

17.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$0.91 DOP 55.3

193.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,427

$5.29 DOP 320

1.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 ₡6,996

$10.14 DOP 614

52.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,241

$2.64 DOP 160

4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,489

$3.07 DOP 186

7.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡509

$0.67 DOP 40.52

68.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

$19.30 DOP 1,169

239.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡979

$3.20 DOP 194

-32.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ₡913

$2.15 DOP 130

-6.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,036

$5.66 DOP 343

57.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ₡726

$1.39 DOP 84.4

15.83%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$24.9K DOP 1.5M

38.26%

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

$32.7K DOP 2.0M

14.23%

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

$94.9 ₡42.9K

$91.6 DOP 5,548

3.62%

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

$31.42 ₡14.2K

$24.46 DOP 1,481

28.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$35.32 DOP 2,139

65.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₡29.7K

$30.52 DOP 1,848

115.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

$22.31 DOP 1,351

-0.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 ₡3,656

$6.39 DOP 387

26.76%

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

$722 ₡325.9K

$209 DOP 12.6K

245.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$6,527 DOP 395.2K

97.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 ₡34.1K

$39.92 DOP 2,417

89.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.5K

$45.07 DOP 2,729

25.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$81.1 DOP 4,912

58.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.8K

$105 DOP 6,373

2.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.4K

$595 DOP 36.0K

61.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₡319.6K

$330 DOP 20.0K

114.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 ₡789.4K

$1,245 DOP 75.4K

40.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 ₡548.5K

$626 DOP 37.9K

94.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 ₡1.2M

$2,357 DOP 142.7K

12.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 ₡830.1K

$1,245 DOP 75.4K

47.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₡477.8K

$541 DOP 32.7K

95.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

12.99

-26.40%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Last update for the Dominican Republic: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$708 38.9%

Dominican Republic

$330 31.6% 53.4% $378

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$380 20.9%

Dominican Republic

$220 21.1% 42% $160

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$218 12%

Dominican Republic

$141 13.5% 35.4% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.2%

Dominican Republic

$151 14.5% 18.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

Dominican Republic

$122 11.7% 26.3% $44

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Dominican Republic

$36 3.4% 56.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Dominican Republic

$43 4.2% 47.1% $39

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $855 in Costa Rica vs $565 in the Dominican Republic. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,164 in San Jose and $709 in Santo Domingo.

Average salary: $1,087 in Costa Rica vs $478 in the Dominican Republic. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 51% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 26% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 109% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are about 2.3 times higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Costa Rica.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

13:15 1:15 PM

2 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

10,760,028

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 DOP = 1.65 USD

100 DOP = 1.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 60.55 DOP (100 DOP = 1.65 USD). 1 EUR = 67.57 DOP (100 DOP = 1.48 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Costa Rica Dominican Republic 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
Dominican Republic

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

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

The Dominican Republic is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 43% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica: a central one-bedroom averages $855 versus $565 in the Dominican Republic.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in the Dominican Republic – part of why living there is about 43% cheaper overall.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the Dominican Republic, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

The Dominican Republic is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.