🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $388 in India versus $740 in Dominican Republic.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $617 in India versus $1,185 in Dominican Republic.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $846 in India versus $1,630 in Dominican Republic.
🌍Living in India costs about 48% less than in Dominican Republic on average.
📊Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Dominican Republic 45% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
India
Dominican Republic
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.53₹244
$6.94DOP 404
-63.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$13.73₹1,322
$51.2DOP 2,982
-73.19%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.00₹385
$6.90DOP 402
-42.03%
Cappuccino
$1.91₹184
$2.18DOP 127
-12.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43₹41.85
$1.05DOP 61.3
-59.05%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.17₹16.11
$0.79DOP 46.30
-78.48%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.93₹186
$2.58DOP 150
-25.19%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54₹341
$4.27DOP 249
-17.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
India
Dominican Republic
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.73₹69.9
$1.25DOP 72.9
-41.60%
White Bread(500g)
$0.52₹50.1
$1.61DOP 93.8
-67.70%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.73₹69.9
$1.27DOP 73.9
-42.52%
Eggs
$0.95₹91.4
$1.76DOP 103
-46.02%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.32₹512
$7.24DOP 422
-26.52%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.10₹299
$5.32DOP 310
-41.73%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
-
$8.71DOP 507
-
Apples(1kg)
$2.16₹208
$2.91DOP 170
-25.77%
Banana(1kg)
$0.70₹67.7
$0.89DOP 52.0
-21.35%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.05₹101
$2.45DOP 143
-57.14%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.53₹50.8
$1.58DOP 92.2
-66.46%
Potato(1kg)
$0.39₹37.66
$1.62DOP 94.1
-75.93%
Onion(1kg)
$0.48₹46.64
$2.23DOP 130
-78.48%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.52₹49.78
$0.92DOP 53.5
-43.48%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.36₹34.33
$0.78DOP 45.15
-53.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.02₹387
$5.06DOP 294
-20.55%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.28₹701
$10.32DOP 601
-29.46%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90₹183
$2.53DOP 147
-24.90%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03₹292
$3.35DOP 195
-9.55%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
$5.84₹562
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
India
Dominican Republic
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.36₹34.66
$0.65DOP 37.98
-44.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$9.84₹948
$34.10DOP 1,986
-71.14%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.95₹91.8
$3.47DOP 202
-72.62%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.30₹29.03
$2.37DOP 138
-87.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.79₹172
$5.40DOP 314
-66.85%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.21₹117
$1.31DOP 76.4
-7.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$13.9K₹1.3M
$25.5KDOP 1.5M
-45.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.4K₹2.2M
$31.3KDOP 1.8M
-28.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
India
Dominican Republic
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$40.16₹3,867
$68.0DOP 3,960
-40.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.76₹362
$20.20DOP 1,177
-81.39%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.04₹774
$37.94DOP 2,209
-78.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
India
Dominican Republic
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$16.25₹1,565
$26.21DOP 1,526
-38.00%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.56₹728
$13.86DOP 807
-45.45%
Cinema Ticket
$3.43₹330
$6.08DOP 354
-43.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
India
Dominican Republic
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$69.7₹6,713
$241DOP 14.0K
-71.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$1,852₹178.3K
$6,118DOP 356.3K
-69.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
India
Dominican Republic
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$25.59₹2,463
$43.48DOP 2,532
-41.15%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.30₹2,532
$51.5DOP 3,001
-48.97%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$44.89₹4,322
$82.1DOP 4,780
-45.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$33.20₹3,197
$91.7DOP 5,338
-63.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
India
Dominican Republic
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$174₹16.8K
$450DOP 26.2K
-61.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$112₹10.8K
$248DOP 14.4K
-54.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$405₹39.0K
$872DOP 50.8K
-53.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$258₹24.8K
$456DOP 26.6K
-43.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,263₹121.6K
$2,158DOP 125.7K
-41.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$653₹62.8K
$1,143DOP 66.6K
-42.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
India
Dominican Republic
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$424₹40.8K
$591DOP 34.4K
-28.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
9.02
13.16
-31.46%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for India: July 12, 2026
Last update for Dominican Republic: July 13, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $127 in India, $228 in Dominican Republic. Capital cities: $242 in Delhi vs $564 in Santo Domingo.
💰National salary averages: $398 in India, $592 in Dominican Republic. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 80% higher in Dominican Republic.
⭐Dining out costs 245% more in Dominican Republic.
⭐Salaries are 49% higher in Dominican Republic, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.
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
India vs Dominican Republic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Dominican Republic or India?
At $679 per month in Dominican Republic and $589 in India, there's a 15% 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 India?
Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in India: 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 India?
Rent in Dominican Republic is consistently higher than in India 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 $1,000 go in Dominican Republic compared to India?
In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Dominican Republic 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 India?
It depends on what you're after: India wins on affordability; Dominican Republic may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.