For one person, living is cheaper in the Dominican Republic: $1,044 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in the Dominican Republic and in Canada
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 Canada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,044 per month in the Dominican Republic vs $2,310 in Canada, rent included.
Dominican Republic $1,044
Canada $2,310
A couple spends around $1,664 per month in the Dominican Republic vs $3,356 in Canada, rent included.
Dominican Republic $1,664
Canada $3,356
A family of three spends $2,284 per month in the Dominican Republic vs $4,403 in Canada, rent included.
Dominican Republic $2,284
Canada $4,403
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in the Dominican Republic ($589–$1,424), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in the Dominican Republic is roughly 55% lower than in Canada on average.
📊
The Dominican Republic sits 23% below the global median, while Canada is 70% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Dominican Republic
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.41DOP 508
$18.16CA$25.40
-53.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.89DOP 3,013
$71.2CA$99.6
-29.94%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.52DOP 454
$10.81CA$15.12
-30.43%
Cappuccino
$2.02DOP 122
$3.78CA$5.28
-46.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94DOP 56.9
$2.11CA$2.96
-55.45%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65DOP 39.07
$1.66CA$2.32
-60.84%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.46DOP 149
$5.62CA$7.86
-56.23%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.21DOP 254
$5.72CA$8.00
-26.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
Canada
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.32DOP 79.8
$2.17CA$3.04
-39.17%
White Bread(500g)
$1.74DOP 105
$2.60CA$3.64
-33.08%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.46DOP 88.0
$3.65CA$5.11
-60.00%
Eggs
$1.80DOP 108
$3.63CA$5.07
-50.41%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.59DOP 458
$10.76CA$15.05
-29.46%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.73DOP 346
$11.90CA$16.64
-51.85%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$6.66DOP 402
$15.42CA$21.57
-56.81%
Apples(1kg)
$3.18DOP 192
$4.03CA$5.63
-21.09%
Banana(1kg)
$0.88DOP 53.1
$1.38CA$1.94
-36.23%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.64DOP 159
$3.88CA$5.42
-31.96%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.73DOP 104
$4.08CA$5.71
-57.60%
Potato(1kg)
$2.16DOP 131
$2.57CA$3.59
-15.95%
Onion(1kg)
$2.08DOP 126
$2.48CA$3.46
-16.13%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.93DOP 56.3
$2.65CA$3.70
-64.91%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91DOP 55.2
$1.71CA$2.40
-46.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.29DOP 319
$14.32CA$20.03
-63.06%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.14DOP 612
$13.49CA$18.86
-24.83%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.64DOP 160
$2.84CA$3.97
-7.04%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07DOP 186
$3.30CA$4.62
-6.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Dominican Republic
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.67DOP 40.42
$2.55CA$3.57
-73.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$19.30DOP 1,166
$71.9CA$101
-73.17%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.20DOP 193
$3.18CA$4.45
0.63%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.15DOP 130
$1.54CA$2.15
39.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$5.66DOP 342
$26.69CA$37.33
-78.79%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.39DOP 84.2
$1.24CA$1.74
12.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.9KDOP 1.5M
$27.9KCA$39.0K
-10.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.7KDOP 2.0M
$21.1KCA$29.5K
55.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dominican Republic
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$91.6DOP 5,533
$147CA$206
-37.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.46DOP 1,477
$41.80CA$58.5
-41.48%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.32DOP 2,133
$60.2CA$84.2
-41.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$30.52DOP 1,843
$39.01CA$54.6
-21.76%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.31DOP 1,347
$19.06CA$26.66
17.05%
Cinema Ticket
$6.39DOP 386
$11.21CA$15.68
-43.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dominican Republic
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$209DOP 12.6K
$721CA$1,009
-71.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$6,527DOP 394.1K
$14.8KCA$20.8K
-56.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
Canada
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.92DOP 2,411
$55.3CA$77.3
-27.77%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.07DOP 2,722
$38.95CA$54.5
15.71%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$81.1DOP 4,899
$87.4CA$122
-7.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105DOP 6,356
$101CA$142
3.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dominican Republic
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$595DOP 35.9K
$1,290CA$1,805
-53.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$330DOP 19.9K
$1,130CA$1,581
-70.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,245DOP 75.2K
$2,036CA$2,848
-38.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$626DOP 37.8K
$1,731CA$2,421
-63.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,357DOP 142.3K
$4,769CA$6,670
-50.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,245DOP 75.2K
$3,730CA$5,217
-66.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dominican Republic
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$541DOP 32.7K
$3,070CA$4,293
-82.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
12.99
4.87
166.74%
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 Canada: October 26, 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%
Canada
$1.1K 48.9% ↑ 243%$800
🛒Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
$220 21.1%
Canada
$371 16.1% ↑ 68.3%$151
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dominican Republic
$151 14.5%
Canada
$249 10.8% ↑ 64.7%$98
🍽Eating Out
Dominican Republic
$141 13.5%
Canada
$278 12% ↑ 96.7%$137
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
$122 11.7%
Canada
$127 5.5% ↑ 4.2%$5.2
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
$43 4.2%
Canada
$61 2.7% ↑ 41.9%$18
🚌Getting Around
Dominican Republic
$36 3.4%
Canada
$93 4% ↑ 159%$57
🏠Accommodation & Living
Dominican Republic
$626 27.4%
Canada
$1.7K 39.3% ↑ 176%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
$496 21.7%
Canada
$847 19.2% ↑ 70.9%$351
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dominican Republic
$176 7.7%
Canada
$291 6.6% ↑ 65.6%$115
🍽Eating Out
Dominican Republic
$533 23.3%
Canada
$918 20.9% ↑ 72.3%$385
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
$271 11.9%
Canada
$283 6.4% ↑ 4.3%$12
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
$109 4.8%
Canada
$142 3.2% ↑ 30.4%$33
🚌Getting Around
Dominican Republic
$73 3.2%
Canada
$191 4.3% ↑ 161%$118
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $565 in the Dominican Republic vs $1,250 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $709 in Santo Domingo and $1,434 in Ottawa.
💰Average salary: $478 in the Dominican Republic vs $2,968 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 121% higher in Canada.
⭐Dining out costs 49% more in Canada.
⭐Public transport is 106% more expensive in Canada.
⭐Salaries are about 6.2 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.
Dominican Republic→Canada3,040 km≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
Dominican Republic
Canada
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 Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than the Dominican Republic?
The Dominican Republic is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 55% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 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 55% cheaper overall.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Canada or in the Dominican Republic?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the Dominican Republic, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Canada 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