Cost of Living Comparison Between Dominican Republic and United States Cost of Living Comparison Between Dominican Republic and United States

Name: United States
Address: US

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $736 in Dominican Republic versus $2,643 in United States.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,182 in Dominican Republic versus $3,857 in United States.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,627 in Dominican Republic versus $5,070 in United States.

Living in Dominican Republic costs about 72% less than in United States on average.

Dominican Republic (45% below) and United States (97% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.68 DOP 390

$20.04 $20.04

-66.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 DOP 2,974

$76.0 $76.0

-32.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.75 DOP 394

$11.42 $11.42

-40.89%

Cappuccino

$2.10 DOP 123

$5.39 $5.39

-61.04%

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

$1.05 DOP 61.3

$2.55 $2.55

-58.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 DOP 49.39

$2.04 $2.04

-58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 DOP 145

$6.14 $6.14

-59.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 DOP 255

$7.18 $7.18

-39.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 DOP 75.8

$1.04 $1.04

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 DOP 96.8

$3.65 $3.65

-54.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 DOP 75.8

$4.73 $4.73

-72.52%

Eggs

$1.75 DOP 102

$4.38 $4.38

-60.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 DOP 418

$12.76 $12.76

-43.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.15 DOP 301

$12.42 $12.42

-58.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.95 DOP 522

$16.41 $16.41

-45.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 DOP 171

$5.42 $5.42

-45.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 DOP 51.8

$1.65 $1.65

-46.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 DOP 144

$4.59 $4.59

-46.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 DOP 93.2

$4.91 $4.91

-67.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 DOP 90.9

$2.92 $2.92

-46.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 DOP 130

$3.13 $3.13

-28.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 DOP 51.6

$2.26 $2.26

-60.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 DOP 44.35

$2.30 $2.30

-66.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 DOP 294

$9.89 $9.89

-48.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 DOP 604

$15.10 $15.10

-31.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 DOP 152

$1.91 $1.91

36.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 DOP 189

$3.66 $3.66

-11.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 DOP 37.92

$2.48 $2.48

-73.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.62 DOP 1,961

$64.8 $64.8

-48.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 DOP 203

$3.84 $3.84

-9.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 DOP 141

$1.76 $1.76

37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 DOP 331

$30.58 $30.58

-81.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 DOP 76.7

$0.96 $0.96

37.50%

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

$26.3K DOP 1.5M

$30.5K $30.5K

-13.73%

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

$31.8K DOP 1.9M

$26.4K $26.4K

20.63%

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

$66.1 DOP 3,858

$204 $204

-67.61%

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

$20.50 DOP 1,196

$57.3 $57.3

-64.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.56 DOP 2,191

$71.2 $71.2

-47.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 DOP 1,522

$46.67 $46.67

-44.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.70 DOP 799

$22.12 $22.12

-38.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 DOP 366

$13.84 $13.84

-54.62%

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

$240 DOP 14.0K

$1,384 $1,384

-82.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,130 DOP 357.6K

$22.7K $22.7K

-73.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.96 DOP 2,506

$53.0 $53.0

-18.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 DOP 2,969

$43.17 $43.17

17.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 DOP 4,671

$90.6 $90.6

-11.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 DOP 5,495

$114 $114

-17.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 DOP 26.5K

$1,766 $1,766

-74.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 DOP 14.7K

$1,459 $1,459

-82.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 DOP 51.7K

$2,832 $2,832

-68.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 DOP 27.0K

$2,411 $2,411

-80.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,157 DOP 125.8K

$3,287 $3,287

-34.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 DOP 69.3K

$2,650 $2,650

-55.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 DOP 36.3K

$4,379 $4,379

-85.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.16

6.51

102.15%

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

Last update for Dominican Republic: May 31, 2026

Last update for United States: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $229 in Dominican Republic, $1,637 in United States. Capital cities: $562 in Santo Domingo vs $2,591 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $593 in Dominican Republic, $4,500 in United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 615% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 92% more in United States.

Public transport is 213% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 659% higher in United States, giving United States 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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $698 per month in Dominican Republic and $3,212 in United States, there's a 360% 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 United States 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 United States, 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; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.