Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and the Dominican Republic

Name: Dominican Republic
Address: DO

For one person, living is cheaper in the Dominican Republic: $1,044 a month against $1,274 in Mexico, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Mexico
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Mexico Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in the Dominican Republic
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Dominican Republic Living Index

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🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,274

/mo nomad

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$1,044

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico and in the Dominican Republic

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico and in the Dominican Republic actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,274 in Mexico versus $1,044 in the Dominican Republic.

Mexico $1,274
Dominican Republic $1,044

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,010 in Mexico versus $1,664 in the Dominican Republic.

Mexico $2,010
Dominican Republic $1,664

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,746 in Mexico versus $2,284 in the Dominican Republic.

Mexico $2,746
Dominican Republic $2,284

Internal cost variation is higher in Mexico: monthly costs span $730 to $2,625, compared to $589–$1,424 in the Dominican Republic. City choice carries more weight in Mexico.

Living in Mexico is roughly 22% more expensive than in the Dominican Republic on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mexico 6% lower, the Dominican Republic 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.63 MX$201

$8.41 DOP 508

26.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.29 MX$817

$49.89 DOP 3,013

-13.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 MX$169

$7.52 DOP 454

18.88%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$68.1

$2.02 DOP 122

78.71%

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

$1.48 MX$27.84

$0.94 DOP 56.9

57.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$18.86

$0.65 DOP 39.07

53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$50.3

$2.46 DOP 149

8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$82.4

$4.21 DOP 254

3.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$29.91

$1.32 DOP 79.8

20.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$50.5

$1.74 DOP 105

53.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$31.72

$1.46 DOP 88.0

15.07%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.60

$1.80 DOP 108

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 MX$166

$7.59 DOP 458

15.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 MX$150

$5.73 DOP 346

39.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MX$217

$6.66 DOP 402

72.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 MX$52.0

$3.18 DOP 192

-13.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.75

$0.88 DOP 53.1

72.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 MX$36.87

$2.64 DOP 159

-26.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$37.10

$1.73 DOP 104

13.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$37.02

$2.16 DOP 131

-9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.26

$2.08 DOP 126

-2.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MX$27.03

$0.93 DOP 56.3

53.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$21.49

$0.91 DOP 55.2

25.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 MX$85.3

$5.29 DOP 319

-14.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 MX$205

$10.14 DOP 612

7.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$33.30

$2.64 DOP 160

-32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 MX$60.1

$3.07 DOP 186

3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$11.70

$0.67 DOP 40.42

-7.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.85 MX$563

$19.30 DOP 1,166

54.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$50.2

$3.20 DOP 193

-16.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 MX$51.2

$2.15 DOP 130

26.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$201

$5.66 DOP 342

87.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$26.37

$1.39 DOP 84.2

0.72%

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

$24.0K MX$452.1K

$24.9K DOP 1.5M

-3.93%

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

$23.9K MX$451.2K

$32.7K DOP 2.0M

-26.87%

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

$69.2 MX$1,305

$91.6 DOP 5,533

-24.49%

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

$23.51 MX$443

$24.46 DOP 1,477

-3.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 MX$547

$35.32 DOP 2,133

-17.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.74 MX$655

$30.52 DOP 1,843

13.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.46 MX$329

$22.31 DOP 1,347

-21.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.24 MX$98.9

$6.39 DOP 386

-18.00%

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

$261 MX$4,915

$209 DOP 12.6K

24.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,999 MX$113.2K

$6,527 DOP 394.1K

-8.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 MX$1,053

$39.92 DOP 2,411

39.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.58 MX$784

$45.07 DOP 2,722

-7.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 MX$1,817

$81.1 DOP 4,899

18.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.1 MX$1,699

$105 DOP 6,356

-14.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 MX$13.4K

$595 DOP 35.9K

19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,997

$330 DOP 19.9K

44.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$25.6K

$1,245 DOP 75.2K

9.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 MX$17.1K

$626 DOP 37.8K

44.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,597 MX$49.0K

$2,357 DOP 142.3K

10.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,565 MX$29.5K

$1,245 DOP 75.2K

25.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$14.6K

$541 DOP 32.7K

43.04%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for the Dominican Republic: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico

$477 37.4%

Dominican Republic

$330 31.6% 30.9% $147

Groceries & Markets

Mexico

$267 21%

Dominican Republic

$220 21.1% 17.5% $47

Eating Out

Mexico

$187 14.7%

Dominican Republic

$141 13.5% 24.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico

$128 10%

Dominican Republic

$122 11.7% 4.4% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico

$122 9.6%

Dominican Republic

$151 14.5% 24.4% $30

Getting Around

Mexico

$49 3.8%

Dominican Republic

$36 3.4% 26.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico

$45 3.6%

Dominican Republic

$43 4.2% 4.3% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $624 in Mexico, $565 in the Dominican Republic. Capital cities: $1,113 in Mexico City vs $709 in Santo Domingo.

National salary averages: $722 in Mexico, $478 in the Dominican Republic. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 10% higher in Mexico.

Salaries are 51% higher in Mexico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Mexico.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

07:26 7:26 AM

2 h ahead of Mexico

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,777,324

10,760,028

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.3 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

100 DOP = 1.66 USD

100 DOP = 1.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 18.86 MXN (100 MXN = 5.3 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 60.39 DOP (100 DOP = 1.66 USD). 1 EUR = 67.55 DOP (100 DOP = 1.48 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico Dominican Republic 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico
Dominican Republic

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 $1,044 per month in the Dominican Republic and $1,274 in Mexico, the Dominican Republic comes out about 18% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $624 in Mexico and $565 in the Dominican Republic. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: the Dominican Republic wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.