🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $745 in Dominican Republic versus $1,720 in Italy.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,188 in Dominican Republic versus $2,626 in Italy.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,630 in Dominican Republic versus $3,531 in Italy.
🌍Living in Dominican Republic costs about 57% less than in Italy on average.
📊Dominican Republic (44% below) and Italy (29% above) straddle the global median.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.83DOP 396
$17.16€14.96
-60.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.1DOP 2,962
$81.4€70.9
-37.26%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.62DOP 384
$11.60€10.11
-42.93%
Cappuccino
$2.20DOP 127
$1.98€1.73
11.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06DOP 61.5
$3.00€2.62
-64.67%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80DOP 46.49
$1.36€1.18
-41.18%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.54DOP 147
$5.92€5.16
-57.09%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.32DOP 251
$5.25€4.58
-17.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.29DOP 74.7
$1.70€1.49
-24.12%
White Bread(500g)
$1.60DOP 93.0
$2.37€2.07
-32.49%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.31DOP 76.2
$3.03€2.65
-56.77%
Eggs
$1.69DOP 98.2
$3.95€3.44
-57.22%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.42DOP 430
$16.66€14.53
-55.46%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.24DOP 304
$12.26€10.68
-57.26%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.91DOP 517
$20.06€17.49
-55.58%
Apples(1kg)
$2.93DOP 170
$2.55€2.23
14.90%
Banana(1kg)
$0.89DOP 51.6
$2.20€1.92
-59.55%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.45DOP 142
$2.75€2.40
-10.91%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.59DOP 92.4
$3.22€2.81
-50.62%
Potato(1kg)
$1.54DOP 89.1
$1.94€1.69
-20.62%
Onion(1kg)
$2.20DOP 128
$1.82€1.59
20.88%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.89DOP 51.5
$1.48€1.29
-39.86%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84DOP 48.64
$0.50€0.43
68.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.15DOP 299
$7.13€6.21
-27.77%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.67DOP 619
$7.37€6.43
44.78%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.53DOP 147
$1.76€1.53
43.75%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18DOP 184
$2.53€2.20
25.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.66DOP 38.08
$1.99€1.73
-66.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$33.64DOP 1,952
$42.32€36.90
-20.51%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.41DOP 198
$5.67€4.94
-39.86%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.41DOP 140
$1.52€1.32
58.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$5.64DOP 327
$34.94€30.46
-83.86%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.28DOP 74.2
$2.09€1.83
-38.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.4KDOP 1.5M
$32.7K€28.5K
-19.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.5KDOP 1.8M
$32.9K€28.7K
-4.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$66.2DOP 3,839
$227€198
-70.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.65DOP 1,198
$13.58€11.84
52.06%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.89DOP 2,198
$31.57€27.52
20.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$26.11DOP 1,515
$57.7€50.3
-54.72%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.54DOP 786
$25.23€22.00
-46.33%
Cinema Ticket
$6.23DOP 361
$10.59€9.24
-41.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$241DOP 14.0K
$568€495
-57.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,961DOP 345.8K
$10.5K€9,187
-43.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.30DOP 2,512
$90.7€79.0
-52.24%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.3DOP 2,973
$40.49€35.30
26.60%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$80.9DOP 4,695
$99.8€87.0
-18.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3DOP 5,299
$130€113
-29.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$457DOP 26.5K
$865€754
-47.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$248DOP 14.4K
$672€586
-63.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$870DOP 50.4K
$1,523€1,328
-42.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$473DOP 27.5K
$1,078€940
-56.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,141DOP 124.2K
$3,767€3,284
-43.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,165DOP 67.6K
$2,360€2,058
-50.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dominican Republic
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$588DOP 34.1K
$1,949€1,699
-69.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
13.16
4.41
198.41%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Dominican Republic: July 27, 2026
Last update for Italy: July 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $229 in Dominican Republic, $743 in Italy. Capital cities: $564 in Santo Domingo vs $1,334 in Rome.
💰National salary averages: $559 in Dominican Republic, $1,912 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 224% higher in Italy.
⭐Dining out costs 95% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 450% more expensive in Italy.
⭐Salaries are 242% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.
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: Dominican Republic or Italy?
At $700 per month in Dominican Republic and $1,817 in Italy, there's a 160% gap. 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: Dominican Republic or Italy?
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.
How do rents compare between Dominican Republic and Italy?
Rent in Italy 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.
How far does $2,000 go in Dominican Republic compared to Italy?
In Dominican Republic, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Dominican Republic and in Italy?
It depends on what you're after: Dominican Republic wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.
Dominican Republic vs other spots: cost of living compared