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: $1,166 in Las Terrenas versus $1,139 in Santo Domingo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,488 in Las Terrenas versus $1,775 in Santo Domingo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,810 in Las Terrenas versus $2,410 in Santo Domingo.

Living in Las Terrenas is roughly 2% more expensive than in Santo Domingo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Las Terrenas 15% lower, Santo Domingo 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.54 DOP 503

$10.24 DOP 603

-16.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.99 DOP 2,475

$51.7 DOP 3,045

-18.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 DOP 422

$7.58 DOP 447

-5.54%

Cappuccino

$1.89 DOP 111

$2.46 DOP 145

-23.17%

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

$0.74 DOP 43.57

$1.12 DOP 66.2

-33.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 DOP 24.18

$0.63 DOP 37.40

-34.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 DOP 148

$2.47 DOP 146

1.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 DOP 236

$3.46 DOP 204

15.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 DOP 72.5

$1.39 DOP 82.0

-11.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 DOP 104

$1.56 DOP 92.1

12.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 DOP 89.8

$1.67 DOP 98.3

-8.98%

Eggs

$1.49 DOP 87.7

$2.41 DOP 142

-38.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 DOP 372

$7.61 DOP 449

-16.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 DOP 220

$5.55 DOP 327

-32.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.81 DOP 283

$6.63 DOP 391

-27.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 DOP 218

$3.24 DOP 191

14.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 DOP 84.3

$0.81 DOP 47.48

76.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 DOP 194

$2.82 DOP 166

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 DOP 131

$1.84 DOP 108

20.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 DOP 208

$2.02 DOP 119

75.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 DOP 181

$2.29 DOP 135

34.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 DOP 56.5

$1.06 DOP 62.2

-9.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 DOP 97.1

$1.02 DOP 59.8

61.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.77 DOP 281

$5.37 DOP 316

-11.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.62 DOP 980

$10.49 DOP 618

58.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 DOP 176

$2.60 DOP 153

14.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 DOP 204

$3.08 DOP 182

12.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 DOP 36.20

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.37 DOP 1,083

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 DOP 153

$3.30 DOP 194

-21.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 DOP 202

$2.35 DOP 138

45.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 DOP 341

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 DOP 78.5

$1.36 DOP 80.4

-2.21%

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

$15.5K DOP 910.7K

$24.1K DOP 1.4M

-35.87%

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

$25.5K DOP 1.5M

$34.5K DOP 2.0M

-25.99%

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

$95.5 DOP 5,627

$95.1 DOP 5,607

0.36%

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

$27.82 DOP 1,639

$32.26 DOP 1,901

-13.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.34 DOP 2,318

$36.76 DOP 2,166

7.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.52 DOP 1,798

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 DOP 1,450

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 DOP 292

$7.72 DOP 455

-35.88%

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

$153 DOP 9,038

$263 DOP 15.5K

-41.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,479 DOP 322.9K

$7,446 DOP 438.8K

-26.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.48 DOP 1,620

$46.94 DOP 2,766

-41.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.19 DOP 2,722

$48.16 DOP 2,838

-4.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.3 DOP 3,731

$87.4 DOP 5,148

-27.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 DOP 4,042

$128 DOP 7,556

-46.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 DOP 59.2K

$727 DOP 42.8K

38.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 DOP 30.0K

$359 DOP 21.2K

41.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 DOP 121.5K

$1,460 DOP 86.1K

41.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 DOP 140.4K

$634 DOP 37.4K

275.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,204 DOP 129.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,204 DOP 70.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 DOP 35.7K

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 Las Terrenas: September 12, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,004 in Las Terrenas and $727 in Santo Domingo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Las Terrenas vs $52.0 in Santo Domingo. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $225, with Santo Domingo cheaper for home cooking.

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

Santo Domingo wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Las Terrenas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santo Domingo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,748 in Las Terrenas and $1,709 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: $1,004 in Las Terrenas versus $727 in Santo Domingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $153 in Las Terrenas versus $263 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 $52.0 versus $42.00 in Las Terrenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,139 in Santo Domingo versus $1,166 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 $1,139 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 2% less than in Las Terrenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.