For one person, living is cheaper in the Dominican Republic: $1,044 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in the Dominican Republic and in Italy
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 Italy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,044 in the Dominican Republic versus $1,843 in Italy.
Dominican Republic $1,044
Italy $1,843
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,664 in the Dominican Republic versus $2,816 in Italy.
Dominican Republic $1,664
Italy $2,816
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,284 in the Dominican Republic versus $3,788 in Italy.
Dominican Republic $2,284
Italy $3,788
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,038 to $2,555, compared to $589–$1,424 in the Dominican Republic. City choice carries more weight in Italy.
🌍
Living in the Dominican Republic costs about 43% less than in Italy on average.
📊
The Dominican Republic (23% below) and Italy (35% above) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.41DOP 514
$20.46€18.36
-58.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.89DOP 3,045
$79.5€71.3
-37.25%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.52DOP 459
$11.15€10.01
-32.56%
Cappuccino
$2.02DOP 123
$2.04€1.83
-0.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94DOP 57.5
$3.10€2.78
-69.68%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65DOP 39.49
$1.40€1.26
-53.57%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.46DOP 150
$5.51€4.95
-55.35%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.21DOP 257
$5.74€5.15
-26.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.32DOP 80.6
$1.57€1.41
-15.92%
White Bread(500g)
$1.74DOP 106
$2.38€2.14
-26.89%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.46DOP 88.9
$2.90€2.60
-49.66%
Eggs
$1.80DOP 110
$4.07€3.66
-55.77%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.59DOP 463
$17.44€15.65
-56.48%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.73DOP 349
$12.56€11.27
-54.38%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$6.66DOP 406
$20.17€18.10
-66.98%
Apples(1kg)
$3.18DOP 194
$2.58€2.32
23.26%
Banana(1kg)
$0.88DOP 53.6
$2.19€1.96
-59.82%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.64DOP 161
$2.68€2.40
-1.49%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.73DOP 106
$3.27€2.93
-47.09%
Potato(1kg)
$2.16DOP 132
$1.90€1.71
13.68%
Onion(1kg)
$2.08DOP 127
$1.82€1.63
14.29%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.93DOP 56.9
$1.57€1.41
-40.76%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91DOP 55.7
$0.55€0.49
65.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.29DOP 323
$6.69€6.01
-20.93%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.14DOP 619
$7.99€7.17
26.91%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.64DOP 161
$1.77€1.59
49.15%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07DOP 188
$2.35€2.11
30.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.67DOP 40.85
$1.91€1.71
-64.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$19.30DOP 1,178
$43.44€38.98
-55.57%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.20DOP 195
$5.62€5.04
-43.06%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.15DOP 131
$1.71€1.54
25.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$5.66DOP 346
$33.64€30.18
-83.17%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.39DOP 85.1
$2.03€1.82
-31.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.9KDOP 1.5M
$35.3K€31.7K
-29.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.7KDOP 2.0M
$36.7K€33.0K
-11.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$91.6DOP 5,592
$227€203
-59.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.46DOP 1,493
$11.59€10.40
111.04%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.32DOP 2,156
$30.38€27.26
16.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$30.52DOP 1,863
$51.8€46.46
-41.05%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.31DOP 1,362
$23.70€21.26
-5.86%
Cinema Ticket
$6.39DOP 390
$10.60€9.51
-39.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$209DOP 12.7K
$568€509
-63.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$6,527DOP 398.4K
$11.5K€10.3K
-43.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.92DOP 2,437
$90.5€81.2
-55.90%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.07DOP 2,751
$38.55€34.59
16.91%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$81.1DOP 4,952
$103€92.1
-20.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105DOP 6,425
$131€118
-19.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$595DOP 36.3K
$826€741
-27.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$330DOP 20.1K
$646€580
-48.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,245DOP 76.0K
$1,400€1,256
-11.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$626DOP 38.2K
$1,054€946
-40.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,357DOP 143.8K
$3,662€3,286
-35.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,245DOP 76.0K
$2,301€2,065
-45.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$541DOP 33.0K
$1,886€1,692
-71.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
12.99
3.56
264.89%
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 Italy: October 24, 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%
Italy
$646 35.1% ↑ 96%$316
🛒Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
$220 21.1%
Italy
$348 18.9% ↑ 57.9%$128
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dominican Republic
$151 14.5%
Italy
$269 14.6% ↑ 77.4%$117
🍽Eating Out
Dominican Republic
$141 13.5%
Italy
$279 15.1% ↑ 97.4%$137
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
$122 11.7%
Italy
$163 8.9% ↑ 33.7%$41
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
$43 4.2%
Italy
$73 4% ↑ 68.6%$30
🚌Getting Around
Dominican Republic
$36 3.4%
Italy
$65 3.5% ↑ 81.8%$29
🏠Accommodation & Living
Dominican Republic
$626 27.4%
Italy
$1.1K 27.8% ↑ 68.4%$428
🛒Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
$496 21.7%
Italy
$823 21.7% ↑ 66%$327
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dominican Republic
$176 7.7%
Italy
$280 7.4% ↑ 59.3%$104
🍽Eating Out
Dominican Republic
$533 23.3%
Italy
$964 25.5% ↑ 81%$432
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
$271 11.9%
Italy
$363 9.6% ↑ 33.7%$91
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
$109 4.8%
Italy
$170 4.5% ↑ 55.8%$61
🚌Getting Around
Dominican Republic
$73 3.2%
Italy
$134 3.6% ↑ 83.7%$61
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $565 in the Dominican Republic, $729 in Italy. Capital cities: $709 in Santo Domingo vs $1,297 in Rome.
💰National salary averages: $478 in the Dominican Republic, $1,890 in Italy. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 29% higher in Italy.
⭐Dining out costs 70% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 34% more expensive in Italy.
⭐Salaries are about 4 times higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.
Dominican Republic→Italy8,030 km≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
Dominican Republic
Italy
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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: the Dominican Republic or Italy?
At $1,044 per month in the Dominican Republic and $1,843 in Italy, the Dominican Republic comes out about 43% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: the Dominican Republic or Italy?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in the Dominican Republic: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between the Dominican Republic and Italy?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $729 in Italy and $565 in the Dominican Republic. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in the Dominican Republic and in Italy?
It depends on what you’re after: the Dominican Republic wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.
Dominican Republic vs other spots: cost of living compared