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: $1,121 in Mexico versus $740 in Dominican Republic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,781 in Mexico versus $1,185 in Dominican Republic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,441 in Mexico versus $1,630 in Dominican Republic.

Living in Mexico is roughly 51% more expensive than in Dominican Republic on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mexico 16% lower, Dominican Republic 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.51 MX$184

$6.94 DOP 404

51.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.82 MX$731

$51.2 DOP 2,982

-18.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 MX$137

$6.90 DOP 402

13.48%

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$59.0

$2.18 DOP 127

54.59%

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

$1.34 MX$23.38

$1.05 DOP 61.3

27.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.20

$0.79 DOP 46.30

24.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 MX$40.79

$2.58 DOP 150

-9.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 MX$72.2

$4.27 DOP 249

-3.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$26.35

$1.25 DOP 72.9

20.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 MX$45.01

$1.61 DOP 93.8

59.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.13

$1.27 DOP 73.9

40.16%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$41.39

$1.76 DOP 103

34.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 MX$151

$7.24 DOP 422

19.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 MX$132

$5.32 DOP 310

41.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$188

$8.71 DOP 507

23.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.14

$2.91 DOP 170

-5.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.51

$0.89 DOP 52.0

64.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.52

$2.45 DOP 143

-24.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.45

$1.58 DOP 92.2

13.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.67

$1.62 DOP 94.1

19.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.93

$2.23 DOP 130

-8.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MX$22.14

$0.92 DOP 53.5

38.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.22

$0.78 DOP 45.15

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MX$76.2

$5.06 DOP 294

-13.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 MX$201

$10.32 DOP 601

11.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.81

$2.53 DOP 147

-34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$3.35 DOP 195

-10.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.25

$0.65 DOP 37.98

-1.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.22 MX$458

$34.10 DOP 1,986

-23.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$47.01

$3.47 DOP 202

-22.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 MX$34.83

$2.37 DOP 138

-16.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.67 MX$186

$5.40 DOP 314

97.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.29

$1.31 DOP 76.4

-3.05%

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

$20.4K MX$355.9K

$25.5K DOP 1.5M

-20.19%

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

$23.3K MX$408.2K

$31.3K DOP 1.8M

-25.30%

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

$63.3 MX$1,107

$68.0 DOP 3,960

-6.85%

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

$23.40 MX$409

$20.20 DOP 1,177

15.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 MX$491

$37.94 DOP 2,209

-26.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 MX$616

$26.21 DOP 1,526

34.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.50 MX$324

$13.86 DOP 807

33.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$85.0

$6.08 DOP 354

-20.07%

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

$247 MX$4,316

$241 DOP 14.0K

2.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,786 MX$101.2K

$6,118 DOP 356.3K

-5.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MX$902

$43.48 DOP 2,532

18.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.40 MX$724

$51.5 DOP 3,001

-19.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 MX$1,650

$82.1 DOP 4,780

15.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 MX$1,544

$91.7 DOP 5,338

-3.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.3K

$450 DOP 26.2K

43.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 MX$7,967

$248 DOP 14.4K

83.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 MX$21.8K

$872 DOP 50.8K

43.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 MX$14.9K

$456 DOP 26.6K

87.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,595 MX$45.4K

$2,158 DOP 125.7K

20.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,536 MX$26.9K

$1,143 DOP 66.6K

34.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$806 MX$14.1K

$591 DOP 34.4K

36.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

13.16

-12.99%

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

Last update for Mexico: July 13, 2026

Last update for Dominican Republic: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $530 in Mexico, $228 in Dominican Republic. Capital cities: $1,003 in Mexico City vs $564 in Santo Domingo.

National salary averages: $761 in Mexico, $592 in Dominican Republic. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 132% higher in Mexico.

Public transport is 38% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are 29% higher in Mexico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Dominican Republic.

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 $679 per month in Dominican Republic and $1,524 in Mexico, there's a 124% 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.