Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Dominican Republic Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Dominican Republic

Name: Dominican Republic
Address: DO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Mexico versus $753 in Dominican Republic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,025 in Mexico versus $1,229 in Dominican Republic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,785 in Mexico versus $1,705 in Dominican Republic.

Living in Mexico is roughly 68% more expensive than in Dominican Republic on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mexico 8% lower, Dominican Republic 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.89 MX$202

$8.64 DOP 509

37.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.46 MX$788

$51.7 DOP 3,045

-10.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.99 MX$169

$7.42 DOP 438

34.64%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$64.5

$2.17 DOP 128

75.12%

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

$1.53 MX$26.00

$1.04 DOP 61.5

47.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$18.64

$0.68 DOP 40.04

61.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 MX$51.3

$2.58 DOP 152

17.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 MX$80.0

$4.31 DOP 254

9.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$29.16

$1.40 DOP 82.4

22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.86 DOP 110

58.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.73

$1.60 DOP 94.6

16.88%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$44.39

$1.95 DOP 115

34.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 MX$171

$7.69 DOP 453

31.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$5.74 DOP 338

59.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 MX$214

$6.92 DOP 408

82.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$51.6

$3.19 DOP 188

-4.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MX$29.88

$0.96 DOP 56.5

83.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.14

$2.90 DOP 171

-26.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.20

$1.68 DOP 98.9

26.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$37.43

$2.16 DOP 127

2.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.35

$2.20 DOP 130

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MX$25.34

$0.92 DOP 54.5

61.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$21.15

$0.94 DOP 55.5

32.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 MX$84.9

$5.37 DOP 317

-6.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 MX$200

$10.44 DOP 616

13.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 MX$31.79

$2.74 DOP 162

-31.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$60.5

$3.19 DOP 188

11.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$11.79

$0.69 DOP 40.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.98 MX$492

$20.09 DOP 1,185

44.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 MX$49.14

$3.42 DOP 202

-15.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 MX$50.5

$2.31 DOP 136

29.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 MX$201

$5.95 DOP 351

98.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.36

$1.33 DOP 78.6

16.54%

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

$22.5K MX$381.3K

$23.5K DOP 1.4M

-4.38%

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

$26.2K MX$444.3K

$32.7K DOP 1.9M

-19.81%

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

$75.6 MX$1,283

$103 DOP 6,090

-26.76%

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

$25.85 MX$438

$26.49 DOP 1,562

-2.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.98 MX$526

$37.36 DOP 2,203

-17.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.98 MX$678

$30.81 DOP 1,817

29.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.05 MX$323

$22.80 DOP 1,344

-16.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 MX$93.2

$6.67 DOP 393

-17.54%

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

$280 MX$4,745

$216 DOP 12.7K

29.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,643 MX$112.7K

$5,964 DOP 351.6K

11.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 MX$1,036

$43.86 DOP 2,586

39.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.80 MX$777

$46.07 DOP 2,716

-0.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,818

$83.7 DOP 4,935

28.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 MX$1,676

$106 DOP 6,269

-7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 MX$13.0K

$625 DOP 36.8K

22.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 MX$8,320

$349 DOP 20.6K

40.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 MX$24.8K

$1,323 DOP 78.0K

10.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$966 MX$16.4K

$637 DOP 37.6K

51.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,715 MX$46.1K

$2,191 DOP 129.2K

23.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,595 MX$27.1K

$1,172 DOP 69.1K

36.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$821 MX$13.9K

$576 DOP 34.0K

42.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.43

12.99

-12.01%

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

Last update for Mexico: September 7, 2026

Last update for Dominican Republic: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $668 in Mexico, $214 in Dominican Republic. Capital cities: $1,148 in Mexico City vs $735 in Santo Domingo.

National salary averages: $787 in Mexico, $512 in Dominican Republic. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 212% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 15% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 160% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are 54% higher in Mexico.

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

Mexico vs Dominican Republic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $731 per month in Dominican Republic and $1,829 in Mexico, there's a 150% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Dominican Republic: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Mexico is consistently higher than in Dominican Republic across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Dominican Republic, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Mexico it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Dominican Republic wins on affordability; Mexico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.