Cost of Living Comparison Between Dominican Republic and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Dominican Republic and Costa Rica

🙂 Solo nomad: Dominican Republic is 32.3% cheaper than Costa Rica without rent, and 40.3% cheaper with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Dominican Republic is 32.5% cheaper than Costa Rica without rent, and 38.1% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dominican Republic
Costa Rica
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.97 DOP 414
$9.67 ₡4,573
-27.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.4 DOP 3,052
$58.6 ₡27.7K
-12.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.92 DOP 411
$10.23 ₡4,841
-32.36%
Cappuccino
$2.19 DOP 130
$3.97 ₡1,880
-44.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 DOP 64.6
$2.17 ₡1,026
-49.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 DOP 51.6
$1.73 ₡818
-49.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 DOP 150
$2.89 ₡1,368
-12.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 DOP 258
$4.40 ₡2,084
-1.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
Costa Rica
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 DOP 74.2
$2.05 ₡971
-39.02%
White Bread (500g)
$1.67 DOP 99.1
$3.09 ₡1,461
-45.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.26 DOP 75.1
$2.51 ₡1,187
-49.80%
Eggs
$1.68 DOP 99.6
$3.30 ₡1,560
-49.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.33 DOP 435
$9.16 ₡4,335
-19.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.34 DOP 318
$9.29 ₡4,396
-42.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.66 DOP 515
$13.16 ₡6,228
-34.19%
Apples (1kg)
$3.06 DOP 182
$4.48 ₡2,119
-31.70%
Banana (1kg)
$0.88 DOP 52.6
$1.62 ₡766
-45.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.45 DOP 145
$3.22 ₡1,522
-23.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.59 DOP 94.8
$2.98 ₡1,411
-46.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.55 DOP 92.1
$3.01 ₡1,424
-48.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.14 DOP 127
$2.85 ₡1,346
-24.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 DOP 54.9
$1.01 ₡479
-8.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 DOP 46.85
$2.51 ₡1,188
-68.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.20 DOP 309
$4.94 ₡2,337
5.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.60 DOP 749
$15.72 ₡7,440
-19.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.52 DOP 150
$2.38 ₡1,124
5.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 DOP 193
$2.71 ₡1,283
19.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Dominican Republic
Costa Rica
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.67 DOP 39.80
$0.94 ₡446
-28.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.97 DOP 2,019
$48.94 ₡23.2K
-30.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.42 DOP 203
$1.79 ₡848
91.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.47 DOP 147
$2.01 ₡951
22.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.51 DOP 327
$7.82 ₡3,702
-29.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 DOP 79.0
$1.51 ₡715
-11.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.1K DOP 1.5M
$36.8K ₡17.4M
-29.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.0K DOP 1.8M
$34.7K ₡16.4M
-10.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dominican Republic
Costa Rica
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$67.5 DOP 4,010
$86.8 ₡41.1K
-22.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.55 DOP 1,222
$25.69 ₡12.2K
-20.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.26 DOP 2,274
$53.8 ₡25.4K
-28.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
Costa Rica
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.70 DOP 1,528
$55.9 ₡26.5K
-54.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.73 DOP 816
$28.78 ₡13.6K
-52.29%
Cinema Ticket
$5.99 DOP 356
$9.04 ₡4,279
-33.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dominican Republic
Costa Rica
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$237 DOP 14.1K
$560 ₡265.1K
-57.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,021 DOP 357.9K
$10.0K ₡4.7M
-39.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
Costa Rica
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.89 DOP 2,609
$72.4 ₡34.3K
-39.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.5 DOP 3,059
$54.4 ₡25.7K
-5.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.0 DOP 4,755
$117 ₡55.3K
-31.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.8 DOP 5,637
$103 ₡48.7K
-7.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dominican Republic
Costa Rica
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$459 DOP 27.3K
$811 ₡383.9K
-43.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$254 DOP 15.1K
$551 ₡260.6K
-53.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$864 DOP 51.4K
$1,482 ₡701.3K
-41.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$473 DOP 28.1K
$1,036 ₡490.2K
-54.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,175 DOP 129.3K
$2,301 ₡1.1M
-5.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,193 DOP 70.9K
$1,575 ₡745.4K
-24.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dominican Republic
Costa Rica
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$619 DOP 36.8K
$1,030 ₡487.4K
-39.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.16
10.53
24.98%

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

Last update for Dominican Republic: March 1, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated January 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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