For one person, living is cheaper in the Dominican Republic: $1,044 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in the Dominican Republic and in Australia
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Dominican Republic and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,044 per month in the Dominican Republic vs $2,626 in Australia, rent included.
Dominican Republic $1,044
Australia $2,626
A couple spends around $1,664 per month in the Dominican Republic vs $3,810 in Australia, rent included.
Dominican Republic $1,664
Australia $3,810
A family of three spends $2,284 per month in the Dominican Republic vs $4,994 in Australia, rent included.
Dominican Republic $2,284
Australia $4,994
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in the Dominican Republic ($589–$1,424), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in the Dominican Republic is roughly 60% lower than in Australia on average.
📊
The Dominican Republic sits 23% below the global median, while Australia is 93% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.41DOP 514
$17.65A$25.09
-52.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.89DOP 3,045
$85.2A$121
-41.45%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.52DOP 459
$11.09A$15.77
-32.19%
Cappuccino
$2.02DOP 123
$3.90A$5.54
-48.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94DOP 57.5
$2.85A$4.05
-67.02%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65DOP 39.49
$2.31A$3.29
-71.86%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.46DOP 150
$7.53A$10.70
-67.33%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.21DOP 257
$8.59A$12.21
-50.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.32DOP 80.6
$1.76A$2.50
-25.00%
White Bread(500g)
$1.74DOP 106
$2.81A$3.99
-38.08%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.46DOP 88.9
$2.24A$3.19
-34.82%
Eggs
$1.80DOP 110
$5.02A$7.14
-64.14%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.59DOP 463
$9.87A$14.03
-23.10%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.73DOP 349
$9.32A$13.25
-38.52%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$6.66DOP 406
$14.86A$21.13
-55.18%
Apples(1kg)
$3.18DOP 194
$3.82A$5.43
-16.75%
Banana(1kg)
$0.88DOP 53.6
$2.92A$4.16
-69.86%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.64DOP 161
$3.13A$4.46
-15.65%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.73DOP 106
$4.81A$6.84
-64.03%
Potato(1kg)
$2.16DOP 132
$2.80A$3.98
-22.86%
Onion(1kg)
$2.08DOP 127
$2.38A$3.38
-12.61%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.93DOP 56.9
$2.37A$3.37
-60.76%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91DOP 55.7
$1.65A$2.35
-44.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.29DOP 323
$39.13A$55.6
-86.48%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.14DOP 619
$13.93A$19.80
-27.21%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.64DOP 161
$4.96A$7.05
-46.77%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07DOP 188
$5.17A$7.35
-40.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.67DOP 40.85
$2.42A$3.44
-72.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$19.30DOP 1,178
$94.6A$135
-79.60%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.20DOP 195
$3.49A$4.97
-8.31%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.15DOP 131
$1.60A$2.27
34.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$5.66DOP 346
$39.84A$56.7
-85.79%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.39DOP 85.1
$1.39A$1.97
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.9KDOP 1.5M
$30.0KA$42.7K
-16.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.7KDOP 2.0M
$25.8KA$36.6K
26.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$91.6DOP 5,592
$205A$292
-55.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.46DOP 1,493
$28.33A$40.29
-13.66%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.32DOP 2,156
$58.8A$83.6
-39.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$30.52DOP 1,863
$55.7A$79.1
-45.16%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.31DOP 1,362
$19.57A$27.83
14.00%
Cinema Ticket
$6.39DOP 390
$15.38A$21.86
-58.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$209DOP 12.7K
$2,145A$3,050
-90.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$6,527DOP 398.4K
$18.3KA$26.1K
-64.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.92DOP 2,437
$78.3A$111
-49.02%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.07DOP 2,751
$56.3A$80.0
-19.90%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$81.1DOP 4,952
$115A$164
-29.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105DOP 6,425
$123A$175
-14.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$595DOP 36.3K
$1,591A$2,262
-62.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$330DOP 20.1K
$1,293A$1,838
-74.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,245DOP 76.0K
$2,524A$3,589
-50.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$626DOP 38.2K
$2,005A$2,851
-68.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,357DOP 143.8K
$8,751A$12.4K
-73.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,245DOP 76.0K
$6,260A$8,901
-80.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$541DOP 33.0K
$3,984A$5,664
-86.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
12.99
5.93
119.06%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for the Dominican Republic: October 24, 2026
Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Dominican Republic
$330 31.6%
Australia
$1.3K 49.2% ↑ 292%$963
🛒Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
$220 21.1%
Australia
$374 14.3% ↑ 69.8%$154
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dominican Republic
$151 14.5%
Australia
$292 11.1% ↑ 93%$141
🍽Eating Out
Dominican Republic
$141 13.5%
Australia
$297 11.3% ↑ 110%$155
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
$122 11.7%
Australia
$168 6.4% ↑ 37.4%$46
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
$43 4.2%
Australia
$86 3.3% ↑ 99.6%$43
🚌Getting Around
Dominican Republic
$36 3.4%
Australia
$116 4.4% ↑ 223%$80
🏠Accommodation & Living
Dominican Republic
$626 27.4%
Australia
$2K 40.2% ↑ 220%$1.4K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
$496 21.7%
Australia
$848 17% ↑ 71.2%$353
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dominican Republic
$176 7.7%
Australia
$320 6.4% ↑ 82.2%$145
🍽Eating Out
Dominican Republic
$533 23.3%
Australia
$1K 20.4% ↑ 91%$485
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
$271 11.9%
Australia
$373 7.5% ↑ 37.4%$101
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
$109 4.8%
Australia
$192 3.9% ↑ 76.7%$84
🚌Getting Around
Dominican Republic
$73 3.2%
Australia
$236 4.7% ↑ 223%$163
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $565 in the Dominican Republic vs $1,383 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $709 in Santo Domingo and $1,749 in Canberra.
💰Average salary: $478 in the Dominican Republic vs $3,874 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 145% higher in Australia.
⭐Dining out costs 95% more in Australia.
⭐Public transport is 163% more expensive in Australia.
⭐Salaries are about 8.1 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.
Dominican Republic→Australia15,750 km≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
Dominican Republic
Australia
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
Dominican Republic vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than the Dominican Republic?
The Dominican Republic is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 60% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $565 in the Dominican Republic.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in the Dominican Republic – part of why living there is about 60% cheaper overall.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Australia or in the Dominican Republic?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the Dominican Republic, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Australia or to the Dominican Republic?
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.
Dominican Republic vs other spots: cost of living compared