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

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $745 per month in Dominican Republic vs $1,540 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,188 per month in Dominican Republic vs $2,324 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,630 per month in Dominican Republic vs $3,107 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Dominican Republic is roughly 52% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Dominican Republic sits 44% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 DOP 397

$10.13 ₡4,542

-32.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.1 DOP 2,967

$59.8 ₡26.8K

-14.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 DOP 384

$9.92 ₡4,447

-33.27%

Cappuccino

$2.20 DOP 128

$4.06 ₡1,822

-45.81%

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

$1.06 DOP 61.6

$2.12 ₡949

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 DOP 46.57

$1.73 ₡774

-53.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 DOP 148

$2.99 ₡1,342

-15.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 DOP 251

$4.50 ₡2,016

-4.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 DOP 74.8

$2.02 ₡907

-36.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 DOP 93.1

$3.09 ₡1,385

-48.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 DOP 76.3

$2.43 ₡1,089

-46.09%

Eggs

$1.69 DOP 98.3

$3.32 ₡1,487

-49.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 DOP 431

$9.18 ₡4,116

-19.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 DOP 305

$9.31 ₡4,176

-43.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.91 DOP 518

$13.22 ₡5,929

-32.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 DOP 170

$4.74 ₡2,124

-38.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 DOP 51.7

$1.61 ₡720

-44.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 DOP 142

$3.25 ₡1,456

-24.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 DOP 92.5

$2.96 ₡1,325

-46.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 DOP 89.2

$2.92 ₡1,310

-47.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 DOP 128

$2.78 ₡1,245

-20.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 DOP 51.6

$1.02 ₡460

-12.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 DOP 48.72

$2.45 ₡1,100

-65.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 DOP 299

$5.06 ₡2,270

1.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 DOP 620

$16.79 ₡7,530

-36.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 DOP 147

$2.30 ₡1,030

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 DOP 185

$2.81 ₡1,259

13.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 DOP 38.15

$1.03 ₡460

-35.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.64 DOP 1,955

$48.91 ₡21.9K

-31.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 DOP 198

$1.81 ₡811

88.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 DOP 140

$2.01 ₡903

19.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 DOP 328

$7.68 ₡3,443

-26.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 DOP 74.3

$1.50 ₡674

-14.67%

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

$26.4K DOP 1.5M

$36.2K ₡16.2M

-27.17%

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

$31.5K DOP 1.8M

$36.0K ₡16.1M

-12.49%

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

$66.2 DOP 3,845

$87.9 ₡39.4K

-24.70%

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

$20.65 DOP 1,200

$25.69 ₡11.5K

-19.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.89 DOP 2,202

$54.3 ₡24.4K

-30.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.11 DOP 1,517

$56.9 ₡25.5K

-54.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.54 DOP 787

$28.68 ₡12.9K

-52.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 DOP 362

$9.00 ₡4,034

-30.78%

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

$241 DOP 14.0K

$556 ₡249.4K

-56.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,961 DOP 346.4K

$10.2K ₡4.6M

-41.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.30 DOP 2,516

$73.4 ₡32.9K

-40.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 DOP 2,978

$53.2 ₡23.8K

-3.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 DOP 4,703

$119 ₡53.3K

-31.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 DOP 5,308

$103 ₡46.3K

-11.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$457 DOP 26.6K

$799 ₡358.2K

-42.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 DOP 14.4K

$543 ₡243.5K

-54.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$870 DOP 50.5K

$1,471 ₡659.7K

-40.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 DOP 27.5K

$1,055 ₡473.3K

-55.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,141 DOP 124.4K

$2,461 ₡1.1M

-13.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 DOP 67.7K

$1,640 ₡735.2K

-28.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$588 DOP 34.2K

$1,084 ₡486.0K

-45.73%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $229 in Dominican Republic vs $752 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $564 in Santo Domingo and $873 in San Jose.

Average salary: $559 in Dominican Republic vs $1,101 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 228% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 37% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 63% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 97% higher in Costa Rica.

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 Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dominican Republic is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 128% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Costa Rica consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Dominican Republic, contributing to the overall 128% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Dominican Republic, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Dominican Republic is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.