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 $1,536 per month in Costa Rica vs $742 in Dominican Republic, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,325 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,190 in Dominican Republic, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,113 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,637 in Dominican Republic, rent included.

Costa Rica costs about 107% more than Dominican Republic on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 14% above the global median, while Dominican Republic is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 ₡4,484

$6.83 DOP 400

45.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.2K

$50.5 DOP 2,958

19.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₡4,429

$6.92 DOP 405

41.62%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ₡1,859

$2.10 DOP 123

95.71%

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

$2.10 ₡951

$1.04 DOP 61.0

101.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₡770

$0.82 DOP 48.02

107.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₡1,359

$2.54 DOP 149

18.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₡1,986

$4.36 DOP 255

0.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₡909

$1.24 DOP 72.7

62.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 ₡1,401

$1.62 DOP 94.6

91.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 ₡1,105

$1.24 DOP 72.9

97.58%

Eggs

$3.37 ₡1,524

$1.75 DOP 103

92.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 ₡4,127

$7.34 DOP 430

24.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 ₡4,275

$5.27 DOP 309

79.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 ₡5,970

$8.58 DOP 503

53.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 ₡2,052

$3.06 DOP 179

48.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡729

$0.96 DOP 56.0

67.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₡1,440

$2.43 DOP 143

31.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,387

$1.65 DOP 96.5

86.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 ₡1,346

$1.52 DOP 89.2

96.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 ₡1,228

$2.22 DOP 130

22.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡458

$0.89 DOP 52.0

13.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₡1,102

$0.82 DOP 48.32

197.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 ₡2,277

$5.03 DOP 295

0.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.95 ₡7,205

$10.40 DOP 610

53.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₡1,063

$2.53 DOP 148

-7.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₡1,228

$3.31 DOP 194

-17.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ₡438

$0.66 DOP 38.82

46.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.77 ₡22.5K

$33.99 DOP 1,991

46.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₡855

$3.34 DOP 196

-43.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 ₡879

$2.37 DOP 139

-18.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.78 ₡3,513

$5.46 DOP 320

42.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡683

$1.32 DOP 77.2

14.39%

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

$37.3K ₡16.9M

$26.3K DOP 1.5M

41.76%

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

$35.7K ₡16.1M

$31.9K DOP 1.9M

11.84%

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

$86.7 ₡39.2K

$68.2 DOP 3,997

27.08%

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

$25.28 ₡11.4K

$20.38 DOP 1,194

24.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 ₡24.7K

$38.61 DOP 2,262

41.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 ₡26.1K

$25.91 DOP 1,518

123.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.25 ₡13.2K

$13.40 DOP 785

118.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 ₡4,112

$6.28 DOP 368

44.90%

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

$542 ₡244.9K

$239 DOP 14.0K

126.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K ₡4.5M

$5,936 DOP 347.7K

68.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 ₡33.3K

$43.08 DOP 2,523

70.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 ₡24.5K

$51.7 DOP 3,031

4.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.9K

$80.0 DOP 4,685

49.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ₡46.9K

$93.4 DOP 5,473

11.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 ₡360.9K

$458 DOP 26.9K

74.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₡246.3K

$248 DOP 14.5K

120.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 ₡669.5K

$873 DOP 51.1K

69.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 ₡468.4K

$467 DOP 27.4K

122.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,403 ₡1.1M

$2,146 DOP 125.7K

11.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,603 ₡724.1K

$1,179 DOP 69.1K

35.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 ₡487.7K

$618 DOP 36.2K

74.55%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Dominican Republic: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $777 in Costa Rica vs $229 in Dominican Republic. For reference, capital cities sit at $880 in San Jose and $560 in Santo Domingo.

Average salary: $1,089 in Costa Rica vs $601 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 37% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 63% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 81% higher in Costa Rica, giving Dominican Republic stronger purchasing power.

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 134% 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 134% 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.