Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Plata and Santa Cruz del Seibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz del Seibo: $640 a month against $808 in Puerto Plata, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Puerto Plata outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Puerto Plata
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$808
/mo nomad
Santa Cruz del Seibo
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$640
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Plata and in Santa Cruz del Seibo

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 Santa Cruz del Seibo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $808 per month in Puerto Plata vs $640 in Santa Cruz del Seibo, rent included.

  • Puerto Plata $808
  • Santa Cruz del Seibo $640

A couple spends around $1,325 per month in Puerto Plata vs $1,029 in Santa Cruz del Seibo, rent included.

  • Puerto Plata $1,325
  • Santa Cruz del Seibo $1,029

A family of three spends $1,841 per month in Puerto Plata vs $1,419 in Santa Cruz del Seibo, rent included.

  • Puerto Plata $1,841
  • Santa Cruz del Seibo $1,419

Puerto Plata costs about 26% more than Santa Cruz del Seibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Puerto Plata and Santa Cruz del Seibo are more affordable than the global median – Puerto Plata 40% lower, Santa Cruz del Seibo 53% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Puerto Plata
Santa Cruz del Seibo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.54 DOP 340
$8.02 DOP 491
-30.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.63 DOP 1,999
$40.92 DOP 2,507
-20.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.35 DOP 450
$4.91 DOP 301
49.69%
Cappuccino
$1.45 DOP 89.0
$1.80 DOP 111
-19.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 DOP 42.34
$0.67 DOP 41.07
2.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 DOP 19.58
$0.37 DOP 22.74
-13.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.92 DOP 117
$2.43 DOP 149
-20.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 DOP 145
$3.93 DOP 241
-39.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Puerto Plata
Santa Cruz del Seibo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 DOP 73.7
$1.19 DOP 73.0
0.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.58 DOP 97.1
$1.78 DOP 109
-11.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 DOP 61.8
$1.48 DOP 90.5
-31.76%
Eggs
$1.31 DOP 80.4
$1.43 DOP 87.6
-8.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.81 DOP 233
$6.40 DOP 392
-40.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.37 DOP 329
$3.48 DOP 213
54.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.44 DOP 333
$4.74 DOP 291
14.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.37 DOP 145
$3.65 DOP 224
-35.07%
Banana (1kg)
$0.82 DOP 50.5
$1.39 DOP 85.3
-41.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.67 DOP 103
$3.22 DOP 198
-48.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.88 DOP 53.7
$2.21 DOP 136
-60.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.03 DOP 63.4
$3.60 DOP 220
-71.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.19 DOP 72.7
$2.97 DOP 182
-59.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.84 DOP 51.2
$0.94 DOP 57.9
-10.64%
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
$4.88 DOP 299
-49.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.20 DOP 564
$16.54 DOP 1,013
-44.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03 DOP 124
$3.01 DOP 184
-32.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 DOP 180
$3.35 DOP 205
-12.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Puerto Plata
Santa Cruz del Seibo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.94 DOP 57.8
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.26 DOP 200
$2.52 DOP 154
29.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.26 DOP 139
$3.36 DOP 206
-32.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.73 DOP 351
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 DOP 77.5
$1.43 DOP 87.8
-11.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K DOP 1.8M
$14.7K DOP 899.5K
100.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K DOP 2.1M
$25.4K DOP 1.6M
35.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Plata
Santa Cruz del Seibo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$41.41 DOP 2,537
$93.8 DOP 5,745
-55.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.67 DOP 1,389
$26.83 DOP 1,644
-15.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.58 DOP 2,179
$38.27 DOP 2,344
-7.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Plata
Santa Cruz del Seibo
Difference
Cinema Ticket
$4.81 DOP 295
$4.82 DOP 295
-0.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Puerto Plata
Santa Cruz del Seibo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$250 DOP 15.3K
$147 DOP 9,013
69.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,310 DOP 447.8K
$5,418 DOP 331.9K
34.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Plata
Santa Cruz del Seibo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.91 DOP 1,158
$26.39 DOP 1,617
-28.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$12.87 DOP 788
$45.39 DOP 2,781
-71.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.1 DOP 5,274
$61.2 DOP 3,751
40.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 DOP 7,375
$65.0 DOP 3,981
85.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Puerto Plata
Santa Cruz del Seibo
Difference
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Puerto Plata
Santa Cruz del Seibo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$331 DOP 20.2K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.56
11
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 Santa Cruz del Seibo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Puerto Plata
$297
Santa Cruz del Seibo
–
Groceries & Markets
Puerto Plata
$174
Santa Cruz del Seibo
–
Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Plata
$107
Santa Cruz del Seibo
–
Eating Out
Puerto Plata
$102
Santa Cruz del Seibo
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Plata
$100
Santa Cruz del Seibo
–
Getting Around
Puerto Plata
$18 *
Santa Cruz del Seibo
–
Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Plata
$9.6 *
Santa Cruz del Seibo
–

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Puerto Plata versus $41.00 in Santa Cruz del Seibo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $238 – making Puerto Plata the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇴 Puerto Plata
🇩🇴 Santa Cruz del Seibo
🕒 Local time
13:02 1:02 PM
13:02 1:02 PM
Same time as Puerto Plata
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
130,000
23,547
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Puerto Plata Santa Cruz del Seibo 210 km
From you
  • Puerto Plata
  • Santa Cruz del Seibo

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 Santa Cruz del Seibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Santa Cruz del Seibo cheaper than Puerto Plata?
Yes – Puerto Plata is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,213 per month in Puerto Plata and $959 in Santa Cruz del Seibo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Puerto Plata or in Santa Cruz del Seibo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Puerto Plata and $41.00 in Santa Cruz del Seibo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Puerto Plata and in Santa Cruz del Seibo?
Interestingly, groceries are about 37% cheaper in Puerto Plata – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $1,000 enough for either Puerto Plata or Santa Cruz del Seibo?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $808 in Puerto Plata and $640 in Santa Cruz del Seibo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Puerto Plata or Santa Cruz del Seibo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Santa Cruz del Seibo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Santa Cruz del Seibo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Puerto Plata makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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