For one person, living is cheaper in the Dominican Republic: $1,044 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Italy and in the Dominican Republic
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Italy and in the Dominican Republic actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in Italy versus $1,044 in the Dominican Republic.
Italy $1,843
Dominican Republic $1,044
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,816 in Italy versus $1,664 in the Dominican Republic.
Italy $2,816
Dominican Republic $1,664
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,788 in Italy versus $2,284 in the Dominican Republic.
Italy $3,788
Dominican Republic $2,284
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,038 to $2,555, compared to $589–$1,424 in the Dominican Republic. City choice carries more weight in Italy.
🌍
Living in Italy is roughly 77% more expensive than in the Dominican Republic on average.
📊
Italy (35% above) and the Dominican Republic (23% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.46€18.27
$8.41DOP 508
143.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.5€71.0
$49.89DOP 3,014
59.35%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.15€9.96
$7.52DOP 454
48.27%
Cappuccino
$2.04€1.82
$2.02DOP 122
0.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10€2.77
$0.94DOP 56.9
229.79%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40€1.25
$0.65DOP 39.09
115.38%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.51€4.92
$2.46DOP 149
123.98%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74€5.13
$4.21DOP 254
36.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.57€1.40
$1.32DOP 79.8
18.94%
White Bread(500g)
$2.38€2.13
$1.74DOP 105
36.78%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.90€2.59
$1.46DOP 88.0
98.63%
Eggs
$4.07€3.64
$1.80DOP 109
126.11%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$17.44€15.57
$7.59DOP 459
129.78%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.56€11.21
$5.73DOP 346
119.20%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.17€18.01
$6.66DOP 402
202.85%
Apples(1kg)
$2.58€2.31
$3.18DOP 192
-18.87%
Banana(1kg)
$2.19€1.95
$0.88DOP 53.1
148.86%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.68€2.39
$2.64DOP 159
1.52%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.27€2.92
$1.73DOP 104
89.02%
Potato(1kg)
$1.90€1.70
$2.16DOP 131
-12.04%
Onion(1kg)
$1.82€1.62
$2.08DOP 126
-12.50%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.57€1.40
$0.93DOP 56.3
68.82%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$0.91DOP 55.2
-39.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.69€5.98
$5.29DOP 319
26.47%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.99€7.13
$10.14DOP 612
-21.20%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77€1.58
$2.64DOP 160
-32.95%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35€2.10
$3.07DOP 186
-23.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.91€1.71
$0.67DOP 40.44
185.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$43.44€38.79
$19.30DOP 1,166
125.08%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.62€5.02
$3.20DOP 193
75.63%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.71€1.53
$2.15DOP 130
-20.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.64€30.04
$5.66DOP 342
494.35%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.03€1.81
$1.39DOP 84.3
46.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K€31.5K
$24.9KDOP 1.5M
41.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K€32.8K
$32.7KDOP 2.0M
12.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$227€202
$91.6DOP 5,536
147.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59€10.35
$24.46DOP 1,478
-52.62%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38€27.13
$35.32DOP 2,134
-13.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$51.8€46.23
$30.52DOP 1,844
69.63%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.70€21.16
$22.31DOP 1,348
6.23%
Cinema Ticket
$10.60€9.47
$6.39DOP 386
65.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$568€507
$209DOP 12.6K
171.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.5K€10.3K
$6,527DOP 394.3K
76.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.5€80.8
$39.92DOP 2,412
126.78%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.55€34.43
$45.07DOP 2,723
-14.47%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$103€91.7
$81.1DOP 4,902
26.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131€117
$105DOP 6,359
24.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$826€737
$595DOP 35.9K
38.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$646€577
$330DOP 19.9K
95.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,400€1,250
$1,245DOP 75.2K
12.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,054€942
$626DOP 37.8K
68.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,662€3,270
$2,357DOP 142.4K
55.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,301€2,055
$1,245DOP 75.2K
84.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Dominican Republic
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,886€1,684
$541DOP 32.7K
248.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.56
12.99
-72.59%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026
Last update for the Dominican Republic: October 24, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$646 35.1%
Dominican Republic
$330 31.6% ↓ 49%$316
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$348 18.9%
Dominican Republic
$220 21.1% ↓ 36.7%$128
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$279 15.1%
Dominican Republic
$141 13.5% ↓ 49.3%$137
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$269 14.6%
Dominican Republic
$151 14.5% ↓ 43.6%$117
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163 8.9%
Dominican Republic
$122 11.7% ↓ 25.2%$41
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$73 4%
Dominican Republic
$43 4.2% ↓ 40.7%$30
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$65 3.5%
Dominican Republic
$36 3.4% ↓ 45%$29
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$1.1K 27.8%
Dominican Republic
$626 27.4% ↓ 40.6%$428
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$823 21.7%
Dominican Republic
$496 21.7% ↓ 39.8%$327
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$964 25.5%
Dominican Republic
$533 23.3% ↓ 44.7%$432
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$280 7.4%
Dominican Republic
$176 7.7% ↓ 37.2%$104
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$363 9.6%
Dominican Republic
$271 11.9% ↓ 25.2%$91
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$170 4.5%
Dominican Republic
$109 4.8% ↓ 35.8%$61
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$134 3.6%
Dominican Republic
$73 3.2% ↓ 45.6%$61
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $729 in Italy, $565 in the Dominican Republic. Capital cities: $1,297 in Rome vs $709 in Santo Domingo.
💰National salary averages: $1,890 in Italy, $478 in the Dominican Republic. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 29% higher in Italy.
⭐Dining out costs 70% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 34% more expensive in Italy.
⭐Salaries are about 4 times higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.
Italy→Dominican Republic8,030 km≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
Italy
Dominican Republic
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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: the Dominican Republic or Italy?
At $1,044 per month in the Dominican Republic and $1,843 in Italy, the Dominican Republic comes out about 43% cheaper. 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: the Dominican Republic or Italy?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in the Dominican Republic: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between the Dominican Republic and Italy?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $729 in Italy and $565 in the Dominican Republic. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in the Dominican Republic and in Italy?
It depends on what you’re after: the Dominican Republic wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.