Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Terrenas and Santo Domingo Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Terrenas and Santo Domingo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,124 in Las Terrenas versus $1,116 in Santo Domingo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,657 in Las Terrenas versus $1,815 in Santo Domingo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,189 in Las Terrenas versus $2,514 in Santo Domingo.

Living in Las Terrenas is roughly 1% more expensive than in Santo Domingo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Las Terrenas 16% lower, Santo Domingo 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.61 DOP 384

$8.45 DOP 491

-21.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.64 DOP 2,710

$51.4 DOP 2,987

-9.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.33 DOP 426

$7.43 DOP 432

-1.35%

Cappuccino

$2.07 DOP 120

$2.63 DOP 153

-21.29%

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

$0.98 DOP 57.1

$0.99 DOP 57.6

-1.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 DOP 46.06

$0.77 DOP 44.90

2.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 DOP 150

$2.51 DOP 146

3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 DOP 295

$5.13 DOP 298

-1.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 DOP 75.8

$1.33 DOP 77.1

-2.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 DOP 81.9

$1.79 DOP 104

-21.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 DOP 70.2

$1.48 DOP 86.3

-18.24%

Eggs

$1.65 DOP 95.9

$2.19 DOP 127

-24.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 DOP 417

$7.23 DOP 420

-0.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 DOP 361

$6.26 DOP 364

-0.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 DOP 638

$10.85 DOP 631

1.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 DOP 147

$3.34 DOP 194

-24.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 DOP 49.18

$0.93 DOP 53.9

-8.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 DOP 67.2

$3.00 DOP 175

-61.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 DOP 67.3

$2.01 DOP 117

-42.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 DOP 67.3

$2.48 DOP 144

-53.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 DOP 137

$2.40 DOP 139

-1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 DOP 48.02

$1.09 DOP 63.6

-23.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 DOP 30.84

$0.97 DOP 56.4

-45.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 DOP 297

$5.72 DOP 332

-10.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.36 DOP 1,009

$10.84 DOP 630

60.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 DOP 134

$2.77 DOP 161

-16.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 DOP 136

$3.12 DOP 181

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 DOP 97.2

$0.57 DOP 32.87

192.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 DOP 3,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 DOP 200

$3.34 DOP 194

2.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 DOP 129

$2.10 DOP 122

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 DOP 342

$5.99 DOP 348

-1.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 DOP 75.8

$1.34 DOP 77.7

-2.99%

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

$26.9K DOP 1.6M

$26.6K DOP 1.5M

1.05%

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

$31.3K DOP 1.8M

$31.8K DOP 1.8M

-1.31%

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

$75.7 DOP 4,397

$77.2 DOP 4,483

-1.92%

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

$22.67 DOP 1,317

$25.62 DOP 1,489

-11.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.61 DOP 2,127

$36.56 DOP 2,125

0.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.07 DOP 1,224

$36.14 DOP 2,100

-41.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.64 DOP 967

$14.08 DOP 818

18.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 DOP 386

$6.67 DOP 388

-0.30%

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

$85.4 DOP 4,965

$272 DOP 15.8K

-68.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,760 DOP 276.6K

$8,123 DOP 472.0K

-41.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.13 DOP 2,448

$59.2 DOP 3,442

-28.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.78 DOP 2,428

$52.3 DOP 3,041

-20.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 DOP 4,174

$96.1 DOP 5,584

-25.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 DOP 4,985

$115 DOP 6,676

-25.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 DOP 45.2K

$564 DOP 32.8K

37.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 DOP 26.4K

$286 DOP 16.6K

58.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 DOP 84.8K

$1,189 DOP 69.1K

22.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 DOP 38.9K

$666 DOP 38.7K

0.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,172 DOP 126.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,180 DOP 68.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 DOP 35.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.9

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

Last update for Las Terrenas: July 28, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $777 in Las Terrenas and $564 in Santo Domingo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Las Terrenas vs $51.0 in Santo Domingo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $246 per month, with Las Terrenas cheaper across the board.

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

Las Terrenas vs Santo Domingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Terrenas and Santo Domingo differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,124 vs $1,116 including rent). Santo Domingo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,686 in Las Terrenas and $1,674 in Santo Domingo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $777 in Las Terrenas versus $564 in Santo Domingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $85.4 in Las Terrenas versus $272 in Santo Domingo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santo Domingo – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $47.00 in Las Terrenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,116 in Santo Domingo versus $1,124 in Las Terrenas, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santo Domingo but tight or insufficient in Las Terrenas. The gap between the two cities makes Santo Domingo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santo Domingo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,116 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santo Domingo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Santo Domingo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Las Terrenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.