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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,720 in Italy versus $745 in Dominican Republic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,626 in Italy versus $1,188 in Dominican Republic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,531 in Italy versus $1,630 in Dominican Republic.

Living in Italy is roughly 131% more expensive than in Dominican Republic on average.

Italy (29% above) and Dominican Republic (44% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.16 €14.96
$6.83 DOP 396
151.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.4 €70.9
$51.1 DOP 2,962
59.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.60 €10.11
$6.62 DOP 384
75.23%
Cappuccino
$1.98 €1.73
$2.20 DOP 127
-10.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.62
$1.06 DOP 61.5
183.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.18
$0.80 DOP 46.49
70.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.92 €5.16
$2.54 DOP 147
133.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.25 €4.58
$4.32 DOP 251
21.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 €1.49
$1.29 DOP 74.7
31.78%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 €2.07
$1.60 DOP 93.0
48.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.03 €2.65
$1.31 DOP 76.2
131.30%
Eggs
$3.95 €3.44
$1.69 DOP 98.2
133.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.66 €14.53
$7.42 DOP 430
124.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.26 €10.68
$5.24 DOP 304
133.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.06 €17.49
$8.91 DOP 517
125.14%
Apples (1kg)
$2.55 €2.23
$2.93 DOP 170
-12.97%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 €1.92
$0.89 DOP 51.6
147.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.75 €2.40
$2.45 DOP 142
12.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.22 €2.81
$1.59 DOP 92.4
102.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 €1.69
$1.54 DOP 89.1
25.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 €1.59
$2.20 DOP 128
-17.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 €1.29
$0.89 DOP 51.5
66.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 €0.43
$0.84 DOP 48.64
-40.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.13 €6.21
$5.15 DOP 299
38.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.37 €6.43
$10.67 DOP 619
-30.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 €1.53
$2.53 DOP 147
-30.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 €2.20
$3.18 DOP 184
-20.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.99 €1.73
$0.66 DOP 38.08
201.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.32 €36.90
$33.64 DOP 1,952
25.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.67 €4.94
$3.41 DOP 198
66.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 €1.32
$2.41 DOP 140
-36.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.94 €30.46
$5.64 DOP 327
519.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 €1.83
$1.28 DOP 74.2
63.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.7K €28.5K
$26.4K DOP 1.5M
23.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K €28.7K
$31.5K DOP 1.8M
4.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$227 €198
$66.2 DOP 3,839
242.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.58 €11.84
$20.65 DOP 1,198
-34.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.57 €27.52
$37.89 DOP 2,198
-16.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.7 €50.3
$26.11 DOP 1,515
120.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.23 €22.00
$13.54 DOP 786
86.34%
Cinema Ticket
$10.59 €9.24
$6.23 DOP 361
69.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$568 €495
$241 DOP 14.0K
135.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K €9,187
$5,961 DOP 345.8K
76.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.7 €79.0
$43.30 DOP 2,512
109.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.49 €35.30
$51.3 DOP 2,973
-21.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.8 €87.0
$80.9 DOP 4,695
23.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 €113
$91.3 DOP 5,299
41.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$865 €754
$457 DOP 26.5K
89.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$672 €586
$248 DOP 14.4K
170.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,523 €1,328
$870 DOP 50.4K
75.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 €940
$473 DOP 27.5K
127.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,767 €3,284
$2,141 DOP 124.2K
75.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,360 €2,058
$1,165 DOP 67.6K
102.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,949 €1,699
$588 DOP 34.1K
231.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.41
13.16
-66.49%

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

Last update for Italy: July 27, 2026

Last update for Dominican Republic: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $229 in Dominican Republic. Capital cities: $1,334 in Rome vs $564 in Santo Domingo.

National salary averages: $1,912 in Italy, $559 in Dominican Republic. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 224% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 95% more in Italy.

Public transport is 450% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 242% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

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
Italy vs Dominican Republic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Dominican Republic or Italy?
At $700 per month in Dominican Republic and $1,817 in Italy, there's a 160% 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 Italy?
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 Italy?
Rent in Italy 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 Italy?
In Dominican Republic, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy 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 Italy?
It depends on what you're after: Dominican Republic wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Italy vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar countries