Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Romana and Santo Domingo

For one person, living is cheaper in La Romana: $627 a month against $1,100 in Santo Domingo, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Santo Domingo
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Santo Domingo Living Index

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La Romana

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$627

/mo nomad

Santo Domingo

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$1,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Romana and in Santo Domingo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in La Romana and in Santo Domingo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $627 per month in La Romana vs $1,100 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

La Romana $627
Santo Domingo $1,100

A couple spends around $1,011 per month in La Romana vs $1,735 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

La Romana $1,011
Santo Domingo $1,735

A family of three spends $1,395 per month in La Romana vs $2,370 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

La Romana $1,395
Santo Domingo $2,370

La Romana is about 43% cheaper than Santo Domingo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both La Romana and Santo Domingo are more affordable than the global median – La Romana 54% lower, Santo Domingo 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.32 DOP 500

$9.66 DOP 580

-13.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.07 DOP 2,466

$52.4 DOP 3,148

-21.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 DOP 416

$7.56 DOP 454

-8.33%

Cappuccino

$1.82 DOP 109

$2.42 DOP 145

-24.79%

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

$0.72 DOP 43.40

$1.05 DOP 63.2

-31.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 DOP 19.20

$0.59 DOP 35.33

-45.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 DOP 143

$2.49 DOP 150

-4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 DOP 231

$3.02 DOP 181

27.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 DOP 64.3

$1.37 DOP 82.0

-21.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 DOP 107

$1.58 DOP 95.0

12.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 DOP 91.8

$1.55 DOP 93.4

-1.29%

Eggs

$1.48 DOP 88.7

$2.37 DOP 142

-37.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.36 DOP 382

$7.16 DOP 430

-11.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 DOP 208

$5.46 DOP 328

-36.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.75 DOP 285

$6.50 DOP 390

-26.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 DOP 225

$3.22 DOP 193

16.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 DOP 82.8

$0.82 DOP 49.40

68.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 DOP 200

$2.76 DOP 166

21.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 DOP 131

$1.82 DOP 109

19.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 DOP 211

$2.04 DOP 123

72.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 DOP 177

$2.15 DOP 129

37.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 DOP 56.2

$1.00 DOP 60.1

-6.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 DOP 95.9

$0.99 DOP 59.6

61.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 DOP 282

$5.46 DOP 328

-14.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.13 DOP 969

$10.43 DOP 627

54.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 DOP 181

$2.52 DOP 151

19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 DOP 200

$2.87 DOP 173

16.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 DOP 36.19

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.72 DOP 1,004

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 DOP 145

$3.37 DOP 202

-28.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.34 DOP 200

$2.25 DOP 135

48.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 DOP 339

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 DOP 82.5

$1.41 DOP 84.5

-2.84%

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

$14.5K DOP 872.7K

$29.1K DOP 1.7M

-50.11%

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

$25.3K DOP 1.5M

$33.3K DOP 2.0M

-24.07%

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

$92.3 DOP 5,545

$91.9 DOP 5,520

0.44%

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

$9.95 DOP 598

$31.92 DOP 1,917

-68.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.80 DOP 2,330

$36.52 DOP 2,194

6.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 DOP 1,794

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 DOP 1,473

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 DOP 296

$7.27 DOP 437

-32.19%

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

$145 DOP 8,721

$247 DOP 14.8K

-41.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,443 DOP 326.9K

$8,515 DOP 511.4K

-36.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.87 DOP 1,554

$45.01 DOP 2,703

-42.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.03 DOP 2,705

$47.24 DOP 2,838

-4.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 DOP 3,657

$88.4 DOP 5,306

-31.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.0 DOP 3,906

$122 DOP 7,332

-46.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 DOP 45.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 DOP 21.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 DOP 87.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 DOP 37.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,511 DOP 150.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,336 DOP 80.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$675 DOP 40.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.56

-18.88%

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

Last update for La Romana: November 3, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

La Romana

–

Santo Domingo

$351 31.9%

Groceries & Markets

La Romana

–

Santo Domingo

$220 20%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Romana

–

Santo Domingo

$160 14.6%

Eating Out

La Romana

–

Santo Domingo

$154 14%

Clothing & Footwear

La Romana

–

Santo Domingo

$136 12.4%

Sport & Entertainment

La Romana

–

Santo Domingo

$44 4%

Getting Around

La Romana

–

Santo Domingo

$34 3.1%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41 in La Romana versus $52 in Santo Domingo. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in La Romana vs $220 in Santo Domingo – so Santo Domingo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇴 La Romana

🇩🇴 Santo Domingo

🕒 Local time

18:43 6:43 PM

Same time as La Romana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

567,431

965,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.67 USD

100 DOP = 1.49 EUR

100 DOP = 1.67 USD

100 DOP = 1.49 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

La Romana Santo Domingo 100 km

From you

La Romana
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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

La Romana vs Santo Domingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santo Domingo is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $941 per month in La Romana and $1,650 in Santo Domingo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $627 in La Romana and $1,100 in Santo Domingo. That makes La Romana about 43% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $145 per month in La Romana and $247 in Santo Domingo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in La Romana, where all-in costs run around $627, than in Santo Domingo at $1,100. In La Romana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santo Domingo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Santo Domingo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $627 in La Romana to $1,100 in Santo Domingo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.