Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Domingo and Cabarete Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Domingo and Cabarete

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,090 in Santo Domingo versus $863 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,825 in Santo Domingo versus $1,311 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,559 in Santo Domingo versus $1,758 in Cabarete.

Living in Santo Domingo is roughly 26% more expensive than Cabarete, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santo Domingo 19% lower, Cabarete 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.65 DOP 502

$6.30 DOP 365

37.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 DOP 2,905

$36.13 DOP 2,096

38.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 DOP 416

$5.97 DOP 346

20.27%

Cappuccino

$2.73 DOP 158

$2.22 DOP 129

22.97%

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

$0.99 DOP 57.6

$1.00 DOP 57.9

-1.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 DOP 48.03

$0.85 DOP 49.03

-2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 DOP 151

$2.51 DOP 145

3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 DOP 296

$3.69 DOP 214

38.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 DOP 81.0

$0.98 DOP 57.1

42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 DOP 104

$1.42 DOP 82.1

26.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 DOP 88.1

$1.51 DOP 87.5

0.66%

Eggs

$2.26 DOP 131

$1.65 DOP 95.8

36.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 DOP 425

$7.03 DOP 408

4.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 DOP 373

$4.68 DOP 272

37.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 DOP 630

$5.72 DOP 332

89.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 DOP 194

$0.91 DOP 52.5

267.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 DOP 52.7

$0.92 DOP 53.5

-1.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 DOP 172

$1.87 DOP 109

58.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 DOP 115

$1.30 DOP 75.4

53.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 DOP 141

$1.06 DOP 61.4

129.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 DOP 135

$1.75 DOP 101

33.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 DOP 65.6

$1.09 DOP 63.5

3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 DOP 51.5

$0.95 DOP 55.1

-6.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 DOP 333

$3.38 DOP 196

69.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 DOP 626

$10.83 DOP 628

-0.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 DOP 155

$2.30 DOP 133

15.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 DOP 188

$2.82 DOP 164

14.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 DOP 33.04

$0.70 DOP 40.44

-18.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.9 DOP 3,940

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 DOP 193

$3.32 DOP 192

0.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 DOP 124

$2.20 DOP 127

-3.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 DOP 336

$6.07 DOP 352

-4.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 DOP 77.3

$1.30 DOP 75.5

2.31%

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

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

$26.7K DOP 1.5M

-1.90%

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

$31.2K DOP 1.8M

$32.1K DOP 1.9M

-2.78%

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

$77.6 DOP 4,501

$50.7 DOP 2,941

53.08%

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

$25.52 DOP 1,480

$25.55 DOP 1,482

-0.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.50 DOP 2,059

$17.05 DOP 989

108.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.44 DOP 2,056

$42.40 DOP 2,459

-16.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.29 DOP 829

Cinema Ticket

$6.88 DOP 399

$6.72 DOP 390

2.38%

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

$271 DOP 15.7K

$270 DOP 15.6K

0.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,089 DOP 469.2K

$7,965 DOP 462.0K

1.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 DOP 3,499

$59.9 DOP 3,474

0.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 DOP 3,014

$51.9 DOP 3,010

0.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 DOP 5,568

$95.2 DOP 5,523

0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 DOP 6,690

$114 DOP 6,608

1.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$562 DOP 32.6K

$880 DOP 51.0K

-36.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 DOP 16.8K

$252 DOP 14.6K

14.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 DOP 69.1K

$587 DOP 34.1K

102.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 DOP 39.2K

$369 DOP 21.4K

82.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,192 DOP 127.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,219 DOP 70.7K

$312 DOP 18.1K

291.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$638 DOP 37.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.9

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

Last update for Santo Domingo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $562 in Santo Domingo and $880 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Santo Domingo vs $36.00 in Cabarete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $184 per month, with Cabarete cheaper across the board.

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

Santo Domingo vs Cabarete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabarete wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Santo Domingo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cabarete the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,635 in Santo Domingo and $1,295 in Cabarete 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $562 in Santo Domingo versus $880 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $271 in Santo Domingo versus $270 in Cabarete. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cabarete – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $50.0 in Santo Domingo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $863 in Cabarete versus $1,090 in Santo Domingo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cabarete but tight or insufficient in Santo Domingo. The gap between the two cities makes Cabarete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cabarete delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $863 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cabarete hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Santo Domingo and Cabarete 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 Cabarete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Santo Domingo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.