🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $751 in Dominican Republic versus $1,686 in Spain.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,228 in Dominican Republic versus $2,489 in Spain.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,704 in Dominican Republic versus $3,291 in Spain.
🌍Living in Dominican Republic costs about 55% less than in Spain on average.
📊Dominican Republic (45% below) and Spain (23% above) straddle the global median.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dominican Republic
Spain
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.48DOP 500
$17.13€14.93
-50.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3DOP 2,966
$57.2€49.86
-12.04%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.75DOP 457
$11.60€10.11
-33.19%
Cappuccino
$2.07DOP 122
$2.40€2.09
-13.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.00DOP 58.9
$2.73€2.38
-63.37%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64DOP 37.69
$1.89€1.65
-66.14%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.48DOP 146
$3.57€3.11
-30.53%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.32DOP 255
$3.96€3.45
9.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dominican Republic
Spain
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.35DOP 79.4
$1.26€1.09
7.14%
White Bread(500g)
$1.87DOP 110
$1.54€1.34
21.43%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.54DOP 91.0
$1.63€1.42
-5.52%
Eggs
$1.98DOP 117
$3.44€3.00
-42.44%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.93DOP 467
$14.42€12.56
-45.01%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.98DOP 353
$8.89€7.75
-32.73%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$6.92DOP 408
$16.49€14.37
-58.04%
Apples(1kg)
$3.21DOP 189
$2.49€2.17
28.92%
Banana(1kg)
$0.94DOP 55.3
$2.13€1.85
-55.87%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.90DOP 171
$2.22€1.94
30.63%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.75DOP 103
$2.54€2.22
-31.10%
Potato(1kg)
$2.16DOP 128
$1.81€1.57
19.34%
Onion(1kg)
$2.20DOP 129
$2.00€1.74
10.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02DOP 60.1
$1.35€1.17
-24.44%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94DOP 55.5
$0.76€0.66
23.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.29DOP 312
$6.91€6.02
-23.44%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.77DOP 635
$5.72€4.98
88.29%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78DOP 164
$1.32€1.15
110.61%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27DOP 193
$2.13€1.86
53.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Dominican Republic
Spain
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.70DOP 41.50
$1.71€1.49
-59.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$20.60DOP 1,214
$35.14€30.61
-41.38%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.37DOP 199
$4.66€4.06
-27.68%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.24DOP 132
$1.54€1.35
45.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$5.84DOP 344
$25.59€22.29
-77.18%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.41DOP 83.0
$1.76€1.54
-19.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.5KDOP 1.4M
$36.2K€31.5K
-35.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.1KDOP 1.9M
$30.2K€26.3K
9.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dominican Republic
Spain
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$104DOP 6,156
$155€135
-32.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.88DOP 1,525
$18.12€15.78
42.83%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.04DOP 2,183
$32.66€28.45
13.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dominican Republic
Spain
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$30.83DOP 1,817
$46.15€40.20
-33.20%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.44DOP 1,381
$15.65€13.63
49.78%
Cinema Ticket
$6.67DOP 393
$10.01€8.72
-33.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dominican Republic
Spain
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$216DOP 12.7K
$560€488
-61.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$6,587DOP 388.1K
$10.7K€9,348
-38.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dominican Republic
Spain
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.62DOP 2,571
$87.1€75.9
-49.93%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.05DOP 2,773
$38.45€33.49
22.37%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$83.1DOP 4,897
$91.9€80.1
-9.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109DOP 6,433
$108€94.3
0.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dominican Republic
Spain
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$629DOP 37.0K
$1,042€908
-39.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$343DOP 20.2K
$814€709
-57.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,313DOP 77.4K
$1,627€1,418
-19.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$622DOP 36.6K
$1,246€1,086
-50.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,171DOP 127.9K
$4,266€3,716
-49.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,149DOP 67.7K
$2,607€2,271
-55.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dominican Republic
Spain
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$575DOP 33.9K
$2,046€1,782
-71.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
12.99
3.29
294.83%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Dominican Republic: September 13, 2026
Last update for Spain: September 14, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $214 in Dominican Republic, $932 in Spain. Capital cities: $727 in Santo Domingo vs $1,567 in Madrid.
💰National salary averages: $506 in Dominican Republic, $2,029 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 336% higher in Spain.
⭐Dining out costs 44% more in Spain.
⭐Public transport is 520% more expensive in Spain.
⭐Salaries are 301% higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.
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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Dominican Republic or Spain?
At $716 per month in Dominican Republic and $1,821 in Spain, there's a 155% 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 Spain?
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 Spain?
Rent in Spain 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 Spain?
In Dominican Republic, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Spain 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 Spain?
It depends on what you're after: Dominican Republic wins on affordability; Spain 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