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: $1,106 in Las Terrenas versus $1,093 in Santo Domingo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,653 in Las Terrenas versus $1,825 in Santo Domingo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Las Terrenas versus $2,557 in Santo Domingo.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Las Terrenas 18% lower, Santo Domingo 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.72 DOP 394

$8.70 DOP 510

-22.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 DOP 2,811

$51.3 DOP 3,005

-6.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 DOP 423

$7.39 DOP 433

-2.30%

Cappuccino

$2.04 DOP 120

$2.64 DOP 155

-22.73%

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

$1.00 DOP 58.5

$1.02 DOP 60.0

-1.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 DOP 49.34

$0.82 DOP 48.16

2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 DOP 147

$2.59 DOP 152

-3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 DOP 290

$5.24 DOP 307

-5.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 DOP 72.3

$1.40 DOP 81.8

-12.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 DOP 81.3

$1.78 DOP 104

-21.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 DOP 68.8

$1.55 DOP 91.1

-24.52%

Eggs

$1.65 DOP 96.7

$2.21 DOP 130

-25.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.95 DOP 407

$7.26 DOP 425

-4.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 DOP 378

$6.48 DOP 380

-0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 DOP 635

$10.82 DOP 634

0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 DOP 146

$3.26 DOP 191

-23.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 DOP 49.83

$0.92 DOP 53.8

-7.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 DOP 68.2

$3.01 DOP 176

-61.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 DOP 68.4

$2.01 DOP 118

-41.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 DOP 70.6

$2.55 DOP 149

-52.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 DOP 138

$2.36 DOP 138

-0.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 DOP 51.0

$1.13 DOP 66.2

-23.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 DOP 28.38

$0.96 DOP 56.5

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.97 DOP 291

$5.64 DOP 331

-11.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.02 DOP 997

$10.87 DOP 637

56.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 DOP 141

$2.62 DOP 153

-8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 DOP 138

$3.26 DOP 191

-27.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 DOP 100

$0.57 DOP 33.11

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.5 DOP 3,952

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 DOP 197

$3.33 DOP 195

1.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 DOP 130

$2.10 DOP 123

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 DOP 350

$5.89 DOP 345

1.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 DOP 76.5

$1.29 DOP 75.5

1.55%

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

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

$26.3K DOP 1.5M

-0.20%

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

$31.1K DOP 1.8M

$31.6K DOP 1.9M

-1.65%

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

$75.0 DOP 4,392

$77.6 DOP 4,547

-3.41%

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

$23.36 DOP 1,368

$25.78 DOP 1,510

-9.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.70 DOP 2,091

$35.34 DOP 2,070

1.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.37 DOP 1,252

$35.18 DOP 2,061

-39.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 DOP 1,011

$14.20 DOP 832

21.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 DOP 389

$6.59 DOP 386

0.76%

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

$85.6 DOP 5,015

$271 DOP 15.9K

-68.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,650 DOP 272.4K

$7,996 DOP 468.4K

-41.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.39 DOP 2,483

$58.9 DOP 3,452

-28.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.95 DOP 2,516

$51.7 DOP 3,027

-16.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 DOP 4,196

$95.3 DOP 5,583

-24.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 DOP 5,028

$117 DOP 6,873

-26.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 DOP 44.9K

$560 DOP 32.8K

36.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 DOP 26.4K

$285 DOP 16.7K

58.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 DOP 86.1K

$1,177 DOP 68.9K

24.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 DOP 39.0K

$669 DOP 39.2K

-0.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,164 DOP 126.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,193 DOP 69.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$651 DOP 38.1K

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $767 in Las Terrenas and $560 in Santo Domingo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Las Terrenas vs $51.0 in Santo Domingo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $247 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 ($1,106 vs $1,093 including rent). Santo Domingo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,659 in Las Terrenas and $1,640 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: $767 in Las Terrenas versus $560 in Santo Domingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $85.6 in Las Terrenas versus $271 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 $48.00 in Las Terrenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,093 in Santo Domingo versus $1,106 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 $1,093 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.