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: $1,097 in Las Terrenas versus $1,112 in Santo Domingo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,645 in Las Terrenas versus $1,831 in Santo Domingo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,194 in Las Terrenas versus $2,550 in Santo Domingo.

Living in Las Terrenas costs roughly 1% less than in Santo Domingo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Las Terrenas 18% lower, Santo Domingo 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 DOP 392

$8.51 DOP 503

-21.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.74 DOP 2,821

$51.4 DOP 3,040

-7.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 DOP 427

$7.39 DOP 437

-2.17%

Cappuccino

$2.05 DOP 121

$2.67 DOP 158

-23.22%

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

$1.03 DOP 61.0

$0.99 DOP 58.4

4.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 DOP 46.39

$0.84 DOP 49.53

-5.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 DOP 153

$2.50 DOP 147

3.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 DOP 297

$4.95 DOP 293

1.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 DOP 76.4

$1.40 DOP 82.6

-7.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 DOP 86.2

$1.81 DOP 107

-19.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 DOP 72.3

$1.49 DOP 87.9

-18.12%

Eggs

$1.65 DOP 97.5

$2.29 DOP 135

-27.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.07 DOP 418

$7.21 DOP 426

-1.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.42 DOP 380

$6.18 DOP 365

3.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 DOP 639

$11.20 DOP 662

-3.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 DOP 147

$3.21 DOP 190

-22.74%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 DOP 54.1

$0.87 DOP 51.3

5.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 DOP 72.0

$2.92 DOP 173

-58.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 DOP 72.3

$1.98 DOP 117

-38.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 DOP 71.1

$2.54 DOP 150

-52.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 DOP 140

$2.37 DOP 140

-0.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 DOP 48.73

$1.09 DOP 64.5

-24.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 DOP 28.74

$0.92 DOP 54.2

-46.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 DOP 295

$5.65 DOP 334

-11.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 DOP 694

$11.49 DOP 679

2.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 DOP 136

$2.61 DOP 154

-11.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 DOP 142

$3.21 DOP 189

-24.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 DOP 102

$0.61 DOP 35.94

181.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.4 DOP 4,039

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 DOP 202

$3.30 DOP 195

3.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 DOP 124

$2.14 DOP 127

-1.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 DOP 355

$6.02 DOP 356

-0.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 DOP 74.1

$1.28 DOP 75.6

-2.34%

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

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

$26.9K DOP 1.6M

-2.72%

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

$31.2K DOP 1.8M

$32.1K DOP 1.9M

-2.55%

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

$75.8 DOP 4,477

$74.8 DOP 4,421

1.27%

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

$23.02 DOP 1,360

$25.08 DOP 1,482

-8.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.41 DOP 2,092

$35.59 DOP 2,103

-0.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.17 DOP 1,251

$35.79 DOP 2,115

-40.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 DOP 1,019

$14.55 DOP 860

18.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.89 DOP 407

$6.84 DOP 404

0.73%

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

$85.9 DOP 5,078

$273 DOP 16.1K

-68.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,721 DOP 279.0K

$8,074 DOP 477.1K

-41.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.34 DOP 2,561

$60.6 DOP 3,579

-28.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.67 DOP 2,463

$52.7 DOP 3,114

-20.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 DOP 4,224

$94.4 DOP 5,576

-24.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 DOP 4,945

$118 DOP 6,944

-28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 DOP 45.0K

$572 DOP 33.8K

33.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 DOP 27.2K

$287 DOP 17.0K

60.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 DOP 84.5K

$1,164 DOP 68.8K

22.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 DOP 40.5K

$662 DOP 39.1K

3.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,167 DOP 128.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 DOP 71.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$629 DOP 37.2K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $762 in Las Terrenas and $572 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 $211 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 wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Santo Domingo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Las Terrenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,645 in Las Terrenas and $1,668 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: $762 in Las Terrenas versus $572 in Santo Domingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $85.9 in Las Terrenas versus $273 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 Las Terrenas – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $51.0 in Santo Domingo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,097 in Las Terrenas versus $1,112 in Santo Domingo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Las Terrenas but tight or insufficient in Santo Domingo. The gap between the two cities makes Las Terrenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Las Terrenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,097 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Las Terrenas hard to pass up.

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