Cost of Living Comparison Between Dominican Republic and Mexico Cost of Living Comparison Between Dominican Republic and Mexico

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $736 in Dominican Republic versus $1,121 in Mexico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,182 in Dominican Republic versus $1,791 in Mexico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,627 in Dominican Republic versus $2,461 in Mexico.

Living in Dominican Republic costs about 34% less than in Mexico on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Dominican Republic 45% lower, Mexico 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.68 DOP 390

$10.51 MX$182

-36.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 DOP 2,974

$41.93 MX$725

21.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.75 DOP 394

$7.84 MX$136

-13.90%

Cappuccino

$2.10 DOP 123

$3.42 MX$59.2

-38.60%

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

$1.05 DOP 61.3

$1.32 MX$22.83

-20.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 DOP 49.39

$0.98 MX$16.98

-13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 DOP 145

$2.36 MX$40.81

5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 DOP 255

$4.27 MX$73.8

2.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 DOP 75.8

$1.51 MX$26.15

-13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 DOP 96.8

$2.66 MX$45.95

-37.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 DOP 75.8

$1.70 MX$29.46

-23.53%

Eggs

$1.75 DOP 102

$2.35 MX$40.66

-25.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 DOP 418

$8.40 MX$145

-14.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.15 DOP 301

$7.55 MX$131

-31.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.95 DOP 522

$10.84 MX$187

-17.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 DOP 171

$2.72 MX$47.13

7.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 DOP 51.8

$1.51 MX$26.08

-41.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 DOP 144

$1.92 MX$33.26

28.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 DOP 93.2

$1.80 MX$31.14

-11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 DOP 90.9

$2.03 MX$35.07

-23.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 DOP 130

$1.99 MX$34.49

12.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 DOP 51.6

$1.31 MX$22.71

-32.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 DOP 44.35

$1.06 MX$18.26

-28.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 DOP 294

$4.26 MX$73.7

18.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 DOP 604

$11.56 MX$200

-10.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 DOP 152

$1.58 MX$27.25

65.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 DOP 189

$3.03 MX$52.3

6.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 DOP 37.92

$0.61 MX$10.48

6.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.62 DOP 1,961

$26.28 MX$455

27.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 DOP 203

$2.69 MX$46.54

29.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 DOP 141

$1.93 MX$33.37

25.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 DOP 331

$10.64 MX$184

-46.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 DOP 76.7

$1.32 MX$22.91

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

$26.3K DOP 1.5M

$20.1K MX$346.9K

31.11%

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

$31.8K DOP 1.9M

$23.4K MX$405.5K

35.72%

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

$66.1 DOP 3,858

$62.4 MX$1,080

5.96%

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

$20.50 DOP 1,196

$23.27 MX$403

-11.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.56 DOP 2,191

$28.56 MX$494

31.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 DOP 1,522

$34.68 MX$600

-24.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.70 DOP 799

$18.65 MX$323

-26.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 DOP 366

$4.69 MX$81.1

33.90%

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

$240 DOP 14.0K

$249 MX$4,308

-3.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,130 DOP 357.6K

$5,774 MX$99.9K

6.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.96 DOP 2,506

$52.3 MX$904

-17.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 DOP 2,969

$40.31 MX$697

26.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 DOP 4,671

$93.0 MX$1,609

-13.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 DOP 5,495

$87.6 MX$1,515

7.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 DOP 26.5K

$639 MX$11.1K

-28.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 DOP 14.7K

$448 MX$7,743

-43.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 DOP 51.7K

$1,226 MX$21.2K

-27.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 DOP 27.0K

$870 MX$15.0K

-46.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,157 DOP 125.8K

$2,628 MX$45.5K

-17.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 DOP 69.3K

$1,563 MX$27.0K

-23.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 DOP 36.3K

$825 MX$14.3K

-24.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.16

11.45

14.93%

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

Last update for Dominican Republic: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $229 in Dominican Republic, $530 in Mexico. Capital cities: $562 in Santo Domingo vs $1,022 in Mexico City.

National salary averages: $593 in Dominican Republic, $772 in Mexico. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 131% higher in Mexico.

Public transport is 38% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are 30% higher in Mexico, giving Dominican Republic stronger purchasing power.

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 Mexico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $698 per month in Dominican Republic and $1,542 in Mexico, there's a 121% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Dominican Republic is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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.

Rent in Mexico beats 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.

In Dominican Republic, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Mexico, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Dominican Republic wins on affordability; Mexico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.