Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

For one person, living is cheaper in the Dominican Republic: $1,044 a month against $1,821 in Costa Rica, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in the Dominican Republic
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Dominican Republic Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index

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🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$1,044

/mo nomad

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Dominican Republic and in Costa Rica

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 Costa Rica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,044 per month in the Dominican Republic vs $1,821 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Dominican Republic $1,044
Costa Rica $1,821

A couple spends around $1,664 per month in the Dominican Republic vs $2,773 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Dominican Republic $1,664
Costa Rica $2,773

A family of three spends $2,284 per month in the Dominican Republic vs $3,725 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Dominican Republic $2,284
Costa Rica $3,725

The regional cost range is wider in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114) than in the Dominican Republic ($589–$1,424), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the Dominican Republic is roughly 43% lower than in Costa Rica on average.

The Dominican Republic sits 23% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 34% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.41 DOP 508

$11.26 ₡5,085

-25.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.89 DOP 3,011

$54.5 ₡24.6K

-8.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 DOP 454

$11.02 ₡4,975

-31.76%

Cappuccino

$2.02 DOP 122

$4.43 ₡1,999

-54.40%

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

$0.94 DOP 56.9

$2.34 ₡1,055

-59.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 DOP 39.04

$1.84 ₡829

-64.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 DOP 149

$3.26 ₡1,473

-24.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 DOP 254

$4.55 ₡2,054

-7.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 DOP 79.7

$2.45 ₡1,105

-46.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 DOP 105

$3.56 ₡1,608

-51.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 DOP 87.9

$2.76 ₡1,245

-47.10%

Eggs

$1.80 DOP 108

$3.97 ₡1,794

-54.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.59 DOP 458

$10.47 ₡4,728

-27.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 DOP 346

$9.98 ₡4,507

-42.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.66 DOP 402

$13.91 ₡6,278

-52.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 DOP 192

$5.06 ₡2,283

-37.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 DOP 53.0

$1.69 ₡764

-47.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 DOP 159

$3.45 ₡1,558

-23.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 DOP 104

$3.23 ₡1,460

-46.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 DOP 130

$3.44 ₡1,555

-37.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 DOP 126

$3.25 ₡1,465

-36.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 DOP 56.2

$1.09 ₡492

-14.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 DOP 55.1

$2.67 ₡1,204

-65.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 DOP 319

$5.38 ₡2,427

-1.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.14 DOP 612

$15.50 ₡6,996

-34.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 DOP 160

$2.75 ₡1,241

-4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 DOP 185

$3.30 ₡1,489

-6.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 DOP 40.39

$1.13 ₡509

-40.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.30 DOP 1,165

$65.5 ₡29.6K

-70.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 DOP 193

$2.17 ₡979

47.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 DOP 129

$2.02 ₡913

6.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 DOP 342

$8.94 ₡4,036

-36.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 DOP 84.2

$1.61 ₡726

-13.66%

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

$24.9K DOP 1.5M

$34.5K ₡15.6M

-27.67%

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

$32.7K DOP 2.0M

$37.4K ₡16.9M

-12.46%

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

$91.6 DOP 5,529

$94.9 ₡42.9K

-3.50%

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

$24.46 DOP 1,476

$31.42 ₡14.2K

-22.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.32 DOP 2,132

$58.6 ₡26.4K

-39.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.52 DOP 1,842

$65.7 ₡29.7K

-53.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.31 DOP 1,346

$22.20 ₡10.0K

0.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 DOP 385

$8.10 ₡3,656

-21.11%

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

$209 DOP 12.6K

$722 ₡325.9K

-71.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,527 DOP 393.9K

$12.9K ₡5.8M

-49.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.92 DOP 2,409

$75.5 ₡34.1K

-47.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.07 DOP 2,720

$56.4 ₡25.5K

-20.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 DOP 4,896

$128 ₡57.9K

-36.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 DOP 6,352

$108 ₡48.8K

-2.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 DOP 35.9K

$960 ₡433.4K

-38.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 DOP 19.9K

$708 ₡319.6K

-53.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 DOP 75.1K

$1,749 ₡789.4K

-28.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 DOP 37.8K

$1,215 ₡548.5K

-48.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,357 DOP 142.2K

$2,656 ₡1.2M

-11.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,245 DOP 75.1K

$1,839 ₡830.1K

-32.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 DOP 32.6K

$1,058 ₡477.8K

-48.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.99

9.56

35.88%

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 Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dominican Republic

$330 31.6%

Costa Rica

$708 38.9% 115% $378

Groceries & Markets

Dominican Republic

$220 21.1%

Costa Rica

$380 20.9% 72.5% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dominican Republic

$151 14.5%

Costa Rica

$185 10.2% 22.1% $34

Eating Out

Dominican Republic

$141 13.5%

Costa Rica

$218 12% 54.7% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Dominican Republic

$122 11.7%

Costa Rica

$166 9.1% 35.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Dominican Republic

$43 4.2%

Costa Rica

$82 4.5% 89.2% $39

Getting Around

Dominican Republic

$36 3.4%

Costa Rica

$82 4.5% 129% $46

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $565 in the Dominican Republic vs $855 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $709 in Santo Domingo and $1,164 in San Jose.

Average salary: $478 in the Dominican Republic vs $1,087 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 51% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 26% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 109% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are about 2.3 times higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Costa Rica.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🕒 Local time

02:41 2:41 AM

00:41 12:41 AM

2 h behind the Dominican Republic

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,760,028

5,044,197

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.66 USD

100 DOP = 1.48 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇴 Dominican Peso ($)

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 60.35 DOP (100 DOP = 1.66 USD). 1 EUR = 67.38 DOP (100 DOP = 1.48 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to DOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dominican Republic Costa Rica 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dominican Republic
Costa Rica

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 Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Dominican Republic is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 43% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica: a central one-bedroom averages $855 versus $565 in the Dominican Republic.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in the Dominican Republic – part of why living there is about 43% cheaper overall.

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

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.