Cost of Living Comparison Between Dominican Republic and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Dominican Republic and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $745 in Dominican Republic versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,188 in Dominican Republic versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,630 in Dominican Republic versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Dominican Republic is roughly 5% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Dominican Republic 44% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 DOP 397

$2.77 ¥18.71

146.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.1 DOP 2,967

$24.05 ¥162

112.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 DOP 384

$4.73 ¥31.91

39.96%

Cappuccino

$2.20 DOP 128

$3.08 ¥20.77

-28.57%

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

$1.06 DOP 61.6

$0.44 ¥2.99

140.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 DOP 46.57

$0.29 ¥1.98

175.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 DOP 148

$1.01 ¥6.80

151.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 DOP 251

$2.08 ¥14.02

107.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 DOP 74.8

$1.83 ¥12.38

-29.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 DOP 93.1

$1.62 ¥10.94

-1.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 DOP 76.3

$0.97 ¥6.58

35.05%

Eggs

$1.69 DOP 98.3

$1.61 ¥10.90

4.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 DOP 431

$13.34 ¥90.1

-44.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 DOP 305

$3.37 ¥22.74

55.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.91 DOP 518

$10.68 ¥72.1

-16.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 DOP 170

$1.81 ¥12.25

61.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 DOP 51.7

$1.25 ¥8.43

-28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 DOP 142

$1.46 ¥9.88

67.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 DOP 92.5

$1.15 ¥7.73

38.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 DOP 89.2

$0.73 ¥4.91

110.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 DOP 128

$0.89 ¥5.99

147.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 DOP 51.6

$0.60 ¥4.05

48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 DOP 48.72

$0.53 ¥3.58

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 DOP 299

$3.39 ¥22.91

51.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 DOP 620

$11.73 ¥79.2

-9.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 DOP 147

$0.77 ¥5.22

228.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 DOP 185

$1.63 ¥10.97

95.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 DOP 38.15

$0.41 ¥2.77

60.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.64 DOP 1,955

$21.24 ¥143

58.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 DOP 198

$1.35 ¥9.12

152.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 DOP 140

$0.36 ¥2.40

569.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 DOP 328

$6.70 ¥45.23

-15.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 DOP 74.3

$1.18 ¥7.98

8.47%

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

$26.4K DOP 1.5M

$19.8K ¥133.4K

33.40%

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

$31.5K DOP 1.8M

$16.5K ¥111.6K

90.61%

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

$66.2 DOP 3,845

$51.7 ¥349

27.89%

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

$20.65 DOP 1,200

$10.09 ¥68.1

104.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.89 DOP 2,202

$11.38 ¥76.8

232.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.11 DOP 1,517

$39.24 ¥265

-33.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.54 DOP 787

$14.84 ¥100

-8.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 DOP 362

$6.30 ¥42.53

-1.11%

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

$241 DOP 14.0K

$414 ¥2,793

-41.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,961 DOP 346.4K

$17.4K ¥117.5K

-65.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.30 DOP 2,516

$46.77 ¥316

-7.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 DOP 2,978

$33.08 ¥223

54.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 DOP 4,703

$70.9 ¥479

14.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 DOP 5,308

$74.5 ¥503

22.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$457 DOP 26.6K

$440 ¥2,971

3.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 DOP 14.4K

$253 ¥1,706

-1.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$870 DOP 50.5K

$911 ¥6,150

-4.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 DOP 27.5K

$531 ¥3,582

-10.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,141 DOP 124.4K

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-55.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 DOP 67.7K

$2,403 ¥16.2K

-51.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$588 DOP 34.2K

$1,058 ¥7,140

-44.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.16

4.06

224.14%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dominican Republic: July 27, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $229 in Dominican Republic, $287 in China. Capital cities: $564 in Santo Domingo vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $559 in Dominican Republic, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 25% higher in China.

Dining out costs 81% more in Dominican Republic.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 53% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $700 in Dominican Republic, there's a 25% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Dominican Republic: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Dominican Republic across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Dominican Republic, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Dominican Republic wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.