Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Dominican Republic and Australia

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.

Dominican Republic
Australia
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$1,044
/mo nomad
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,626
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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
🍽 Eating Out
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.41 DOP 514
$17.65 A$25.09
-52.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.89 DOP 3,045
$85.2 A$121
-41.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 DOP 459
$11.09 A$15.77
-32.19%
Cappuccino
$2.02 DOP 123
$3.90 A$5.54
-48.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 DOP 57.5
$2.85 A$4.05
-67.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 DOP 39.49
$2.31 A$3.29
-71.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.46 DOP 150
$7.53 A$10.70
-67.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.21 DOP 257
$8.59 A$12.21
-50.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 DOP 80.6
$1.76 A$2.50
-25.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.74 DOP 106
$2.81 A$3.99
-38.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.46 DOP 88.9
$2.24 A$3.19
-34.82%
Eggs
$1.80 DOP 110
$5.02 A$7.14
-64.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.59 DOP 463
$9.87 A$14.03
-23.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.73 DOP 349
$9.32 A$13.25
-38.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.66 DOP 406
$14.86 A$21.13
-55.18%
Apples (1kg)
$3.18 DOP 194
$3.82 A$5.43
-16.75%
Banana (1kg)
$0.88 DOP 53.6
$2.92 A$4.16
-69.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.64 DOP 161
$3.13 A$4.46
-15.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.73 DOP 106
$4.81 A$6.84
-64.03%
Potato (1kg)
$2.16 DOP 132
$2.80 A$3.98
-22.86%
Onion (1kg)
$2.08 DOP 127
$2.38 A$3.38
-12.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 DOP 56.9
$2.37 A$3.37
-60.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 DOP 55.7
$1.65 A$2.35
-44.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.29 DOP 323
$39.13 A$55.6
-86.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.14 DOP 619
$13.93 A$19.80
-27.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.64 DOP 161
$4.96 A$7.05
-46.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 DOP 188
$5.17 A$7.35
-40.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.67 DOP 40.85
$2.42 A$3.44
-72.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.30 DOP 1,178
$94.6 A$135
-79.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 DOP 195
$3.49 A$4.97
-8.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 DOP 131
$1.60 A$2.27
34.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.66 DOP 346
$39.84 A$56.7
-85.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 DOP 85.1
$1.39 A$1.97
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.9K DOP 1.5M
$30.0K A$42.7K
-16.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.7K DOP 2.0M
$25.8K A$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)
$91.6 DOP 5,592
$205 A$292
-55.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.46 DOP 1,493
$28.33 A$40.29
-13.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.32 DOP 2,156
$58.8 A$83.6
-39.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.52 DOP 1,863
$55.7 A$79.1
-45.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.31 DOP 1,362
$19.57 A$27.83
14.00%
Cinema Ticket
$6.39 DOP 390
$15.38 A$21.86
-58.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$209 DOP 12.7K
$2,145 A$3,050
-90.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,527 DOP 398.4K
$18.3K A$26.1K
-64.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.92 DOP 2,437
$78.3 A$111
-49.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.07 DOP 2,751
$56.3 A$80.0
-19.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.1 DOP 4,952
$115 A$164
-29.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 DOP 6,425
$123 A$175
-14.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$595 DOP 36.3K
$1,591 A$2,262
-62.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$330 DOP 20.1K
$1,293 A$1,838
-74.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,245 DOP 76.0K
$2,524 A$3,589
-50.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$626 DOP 38.2K
$2,005 A$2,851
-68.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,357 DOP 143.8K
$8,751 A$12.4K
-73.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,245 DOP 76.0K
$6,260 A$8,901
-80.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dominican Republic
Australia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$541 DOP 33.0K
$3,984 A$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.
Accommodation & Living
Dominican Republic
$330
Australia
$1.3K 292% $963
Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
$220
Australia
$374 69.8% $154
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dominican Republic
$151
Australia
$292 93% $141
Eating Out
Dominican Republic
$141
Australia
$297 110% $155
Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
$122
Australia
$168 37.4% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
$43
Australia
$86 99.6% $43
Getting Around
Dominican Republic
$36
Australia
$116 223% $80

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.

Good to know
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
🇦🇺 Australia
🕒 Local time
10:51 10:51 AM
01:51 1:51 AM
15 h ahead of the Dominican Republic
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,760,028
26,473,055
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 61.04 DOP (100 DOP = 1.64 USD). 1 EUR = 68.12 DOP (100 DOP = 1.47 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dominican Republic Australia 15,750 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

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