Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Plata and Azua

For one person, living is cheaper in Azua: $661 a month against $808 in Puerto Plata, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Puerto Plata outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

39

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Plata
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Puerto Plata Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Azua
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Azua Living Index

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Puerto Plata

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$808

/mo nomad

Azua

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Plata and in Azua

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $808 in Puerto Plata versus $661 in Azua.

Puerto Plata $808
Azua $661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,325 in Puerto Plata versus $1,059 in Azua.

Puerto Plata $1,325
Azua $1,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,841 in Puerto Plata versus $1,458 in Azua.

Puerto Plata $1,841
Azua $1,458

Living in Puerto Plata is roughly 22% more expensive than in Azua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Plata 40% lower, Azua 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 DOP 340

$8.40 DOP 514

-34.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.63 DOP 1,999

$40.61 DOP 2,488

-19.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 DOP 450

$7.06 DOP 432

4.11%

Cappuccino

$1.45 DOP 89.0

$1.29 DOP 78.8

12.40%

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

$0.69 DOP 42.34

$0.67 DOP 41.09

2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 DOP 19.58

$0.40 DOP 24.64

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 DOP 117

$2.44 DOP 150

-21.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 DOP 145

$3.93 DOP 241

-39.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 DOP 73.7

$1.15 DOP 70.5

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 DOP 97.1

$1.75 DOP 107

-9.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 DOP 61.8

$1.02 DOP 62.6

-0.98%

Eggs

$1.31 DOP 80.4

$1.49 DOP 91.1

-12.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.81 DOP 233

$6.30 DOP 386

-39.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 DOP 329

$3.60 DOP 220

49.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.44 DOP 333

$4.58 DOP 281

18.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 DOP 145

$3.74 DOP 229

-36.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 DOP 50.5

$1.37 DOP 84.2

-40.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 DOP 103

$3.34 DOP 205

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 DOP 53.7

$2.16 DOP 132

-59.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 DOP 63.4

$3.58 DOP 220

-71.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 DOP 72.7

$2.83 DOP 173

-57.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 DOP 51.2

$0.95 DOP 58.4

-11.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 DOP 57.0

$1.65 DOP 101

-43.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.47 DOP 152

$4.89 DOP 300

-49.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.20 DOP 564

$16.35 DOP 1,002

-43.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 DOP 124

$2.92 DOP 179

-30.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 DOP 180

$3.36 DOP 206

-12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 DOP 57.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 DOP 200

$2.50 DOP 153

30.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 DOP 139

$3.22 DOP 197

-29.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 DOP 351

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 DOP 77.5

$1.44 DOP 88.1

-12.50%

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

$29.4K DOP 1.8M

$14.8K DOP 909.2K

98.07%

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

$34.4K DOP 2.1M

$25.0K DOP 1.5M

37.56%

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

$41.41 DOP 2,537

$95.6 DOP 5,855

-56.68%

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

$22.67 DOP 1,389

$26.94 DOP 1,650

-15.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.58 DOP 2,179

$38.63 DOP 2,366

-7.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.54 DOP 1,197

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 DOP 295

$4.89 DOP 300

-1.64%

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

$250 DOP 15.3K

$147 DOP 8,984

70.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,310 DOP 447.8K

$5,425 DOP 332.3K

34.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.91 DOP 1,158

$25.87 DOP 1,585

-26.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.87 DOP 788

$45.00 DOP 2,757

-71.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 DOP 5,274

$61.2 DOP 3,747

40.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 DOP 7,375

$65.3 DOP 4,002

84.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 DOP 26.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 DOP 18.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 DOP 50.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 DOP 41.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,506 DOP 214.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$331 DOP 20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.56

23.27%

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

Last update for Puerto Plata: October 20, 2026

Last update for Azua: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Plata

$297 36.8%

Azua

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Plata

$174 21.5%

Azua

$235 35.5% 35% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Plata

$107 13.3%

Azua

$89 13.4% 17.2% $18

Eating Out

Puerto Plata

$102 12.6%

Azua

$128 19.4% 25.4% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Plata

$100 12.3%

Azua

$161 24.4% 61.7% $61

Getting Around

Puerto Plata

$18 * 2.3%

Azua

$19 * 2.8% 1.5% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Plata

$9.6 * 1.2%

Azua

$29 4.4% 205% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Puerto Plata vs $41.00 in Azua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $235 per month, with Puerto Plata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Puerto Plata

🇩🇴 Azua

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

Same time as Puerto Plata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,000

128,264

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Puerto Plata Azua 150 km

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Puerto Plata
Azua

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

Puerto Plata vs Azua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Azua is cheaper overall, especially in clothing. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,213 in Puerto Plata and $991 in Azua 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.

Shoppers in Puerto Plata pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $808 per month in Puerto Plata versus $661 in Azua – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Azua gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Puerto Plata and Azua are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Azua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Puerto Plata. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.