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 $1,676 per month in Costa Rica vs $751 in Dominican Republic, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,636 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,228 in Dominican Republic, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,595 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,704 in Dominican Republic, rent included.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 123% higher than in Dominican Republic on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 23% above the global median, while Dominican Republic is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 ₡4,916

$8.48 DOP 500

30.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.5 ₡25.1K

$50.3 DOP 2,966

12.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 ₡4,855

$7.75 DOP 457

40.90%

Cappuccino

$4.48 ₡1,992

$2.07 DOP 122

116.43%

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

$2.34 ₡1,042

$1.00 DOP 58.9

134.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₡843

$0.64 DOP 37.69

196.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 ₡1,471

$2.48 DOP 146

33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 ₡1,975

$4.32 DOP 255

2.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 ₡1,081

$1.35 DOP 79.4

80.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 ₡1,621

$1.87 DOP 110

95.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 ₡1,268

$1.54 DOP 91.0

85.06%

Eggs

$4.15 ₡1,844

$1.98 DOP 117

109.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 ₡4,504

$7.93 DOP 467

27.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 ₡4,690

$5.98 DOP 353

76.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 ₡6,136

$6.92 DOP 408

99.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 ₡2,278

$3.21 DOP 189

59.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ₡763

$0.94 DOP 55.3

82.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,649

$2.90 DOP 171

27.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 ₡1,511

$1.75 DOP 103

94.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 ₡1,536

$2.16 DOP 128

60.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 ₡1,384

$2.20 DOP 129

41.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₡509

$1.02 DOP 60.1

11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,231

$0.94 DOP 55.5

194.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 ₡2,429

$5.29 DOP 312

3.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.31 ₡7,249

$10.77 DOP 635

51.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₡1,196

$2.78 DOP 164

-3.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 ₡1,480

$3.27 DOP 193

1.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡500

$0.70 DOP 41.50

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 ₡29.2K

$20.60 DOP 1,214

219.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡971

$3.37 DOP 199

-35.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 ₡922

$2.24 DOP 132

-7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.41 ₡4,181

$5.84 DOP 344

61.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡692

$1.41 DOP 83.0

10.64%

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

$33.9K ₡15.1M

$23.5K DOP 1.4M

44.32%

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

$37.4K ₡16.6M

$33.1K DOP 1.9M

13.12%

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

$96.4 ₡42.8K

$104 DOP 6,156

-7.74%

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

$31.48 ₡14.0K

$25.88 DOP 1,525

21.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.5 ₡26.4K

$37.04 DOP 2,183

60.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 ₡29.3K

$30.83 DOP 1,817

113.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.45 ₡9,978

$23.44 DOP 1,381

-4.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.90 ₡3,957

$6.67 DOP 393

33.43%

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

$748 ₡332.4K

$216 DOP 12.7K

245.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K ₡5.7M

$6,587 DOP 388.1K

94.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 ₡34.2K

$43.62 DOP 2,571

76.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 ₡25.2K

$47.05 DOP 2,773

20.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 ₡59.2K

$83.1 DOP 4,897

60.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡47.7K

$109 DOP 6,433

-1.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 ₡388.1K

$629 DOP 37.0K

38.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₡288.9K

$343 DOP 20.2K

89.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 ₡790.8K

$1,313 DOP 77.4K

35.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 ₡530.0K

$622 DOP 36.6K

91.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,452 ₡1.1M

$2,171 DOP 127.9K

12.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,642 ₡729.8K

$1,149 DOP 67.7K

42.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,059 ₡470.5K

$575 DOP 33.9K

84.00%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Dominican Republic: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $833 in Costa Rica vs $214 in Dominican Republic. For reference, capital cities sit at $965 in San Jose and $727 in Santo Domingo.

Average salary: $1,101 in Costa Rica vs $506 in Dominican Republic. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 289% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 29% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 220% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 118% 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 118% 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 118% 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.