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: $753 in Dominican Republic versus $1,265 in Mexico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,229 in Dominican Republic versus $2,025 in Mexico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,705 in Dominican Republic versus $2,785 in Mexico.

Living in Dominican Republic costs about 40% less than in Mexico on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Dominican Republic 45% lower, Mexico 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.64 DOP 509

$11.89 MX$202

-27.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 DOP 3,045

$46.46 MX$788

11.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 DOP 438

$9.99 MX$169

-25.73%

Cappuccino

$2.17 DOP 128

$3.80 MX$64.5

-42.89%

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

$1.04 DOP 61.5

$1.53 MX$26.00

-32.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 DOP 40.04

$1.10 MX$18.64

-38.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 DOP 152

$3.02 MX$51.3

-14.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 DOP 254

$4.72 MX$80.0

-8.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 DOP 82.4

$1.72 MX$29.16

-18.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 DOP 110

$2.95 MX$50.1

-36.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 DOP 94.6

$1.87 MX$31.73

-14.44%

Eggs

$1.95 DOP 115

$2.62 MX$44.39

-25.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.69 DOP 453

$10.10 MX$171

-23.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.74 DOP 338

$9.18 MX$156

-37.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.92 DOP 408

$12.63 MX$214

-45.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 DOP 188

$3.04 MX$51.6

4.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 DOP 56.5

$1.76 MX$29.88

-45.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 DOP 171

$2.13 MX$36.14

36.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 DOP 98.9

$2.13 MX$36.20

-21.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 DOP 127

$2.21 MX$37.43

-2.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 DOP 130

$2.20 MX$37.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 DOP 54.5

$1.49 MX$25.34

-38.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 DOP 55.5

$1.25 MX$21.15

-24.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.37 DOP 317

$5.00 MX$84.9

7.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.44 DOP 616

$11.81 MX$200

-11.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 DOP 162

$1.87 MX$31.79

46.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 DOP 188

$3.57 MX$60.5

-10.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 DOP 40.93

$0.69 MX$11.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.09 DOP 1,185

$28.98 MX$492

-30.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 DOP 202

$2.90 MX$49.14

17.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 DOP 136

$2.98 MX$50.5

-22.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.95 DOP 351

$11.83 MX$201

-49.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 DOP 78.6

$1.55 MX$26.36

-14.19%

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

$23.5K DOP 1.4M

$22.5K MX$381.3K

4.58%

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

$32.7K DOP 1.9M

$26.2K MX$444.3K

24.70%

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

$103 DOP 6,090

$75.6 MX$1,283

36.54%

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

$26.49 DOP 1,562

$25.85 MX$438

2.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.36 DOP 2,203

$30.98 MX$526

20.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 DOP 1,817

$39.98 MX$678

-22.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 DOP 1,344

$19.05 MX$323

19.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 DOP 393

$5.50 MX$93.2

21.27%

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

$216 DOP 12.7K

$280 MX$4,745

-22.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,964 DOP 351.6K

$6,643 MX$112.7K

-10.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.86 DOP 2,586

$61.1 MX$1,036

-28.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.07 DOP 2,716

$45.80 MX$777

0.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 DOP 4,935

$107 MX$1,818

-21.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 DOP 6,269

$98.8 MX$1,676

7.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 DOP 36.8K

$764 MX$13.0K

-18.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 DOP 20.6K

$490 MX$8,320

-28.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 DOP 78.0K

$1,462 MX$24.8K

-9.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 DOP 37.6K

$966 MX$16.4K

-34.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,191 DOP 129.2K

$2,715 MX$46.1K

-19.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,172 DOP 69.1K

$1,595 MX$27.1K

-26.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$576 DOP 34.0K

$821 MX$13.9K

-29.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.99

11.43

13.65%

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

Last update for Dominican Republic: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $214 in Dominican Republic, $668 in Mexico. Capital cities: $735 in Santo Domingo vs $1,148 in Mexico City.

National salary averages: $512 in Dominican Republic, $787 in Mexico. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 212% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 15% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 160% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are 54% higher in Mexico.

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 $731 per month in Dominican Republic and $1,829 in Mexico, there's a 150% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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.

Rent in Mexico 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.

In Dominican Republic, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Mexico it stretches only to regional areas and 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.