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: $1,139 in Santo Domingo versus $1,216 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,775 in Santo Domingo versus $1,850 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,410 in Santo Domingo versus $2,484 in Cabarete.

Living in Santo Domingo costs roughly 6% less than in Cabarete, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santo Domingo 17% lower, Cabarete 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.24 DOP 601

$7.62 DOP 448

34.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 DOP 3,036

$51.0 DOP 2,995

1.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 DOP 445

$6.61 DOP 388

14.67%

Cappuccino

$2.46 DOP 144

$2.00 DOP 118

23.00%

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

$1.12 DOP 66.0

$1.09 DOP 64.0

2.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 DOP 37.29

$0.64 DOP 37.44

-1.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 DOP 145

$2.60 DOP 153

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 DOP 204

$3.47 DOP 204

-0.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 DOP 81.8

$1.46 DOP 85.6

-4.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 DOP 91.9

$1.58 DOP 92.9

-1.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 DOP 98.0

$1.67 DOP 97.9

Eggs

$2.41 DOP 142

$2.32 DOP 136

3.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.61 DOP 447

$7.36 DOP 433

3.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 DOP 326

$5.86 DOP 344

-5.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 DOP 390

$6.86 DOP 403

-3.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 DOP 190

$3.03 DOP 178

6.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 DOP 47.34

$0.79 DOP 46.36

2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 DOP 166

$2.81 DOP 165

0.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 DOP 108

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 DOP 119

$2.04 DOP 120

-0.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 DOP 134

$2.30 DOP 135

-0.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 DOP 62.0

$1.05 DOP 61.9

0.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 DOP 59.7

$0.88 DOP 51.8

15.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.37 DOP 315

$4.10 DOP 241

30.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 DOP 616

$10.59 DOP 622

-0.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 DOP 153

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 DOP 181

$2.58 DOP 151

19.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 DOP 36.10

$0.98 DOP 57.9

-37.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.37 DOP 1,080

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 DOP 194

$3.33 DOP 195

-0.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 DOP 138

$2.33 DOP 137

0.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 DOP 340

$6.04 DOP 355

-4.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 DOP 80.1

$1.21 DOP 71.0

12.40%

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

$24.1K DOP 1.4M

$23.3K DOP 1.4M

3.63%

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

$34.5K DOP 2.0M

$33.6K DOP 2.0M

2.61%

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

$95.1 DOP 5,591

$93.9 DOP 5,515

1.36%

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

$32.26 DOP 1,896

$31.97 DOP 1,879

0.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.76 DOP 2,160

$37.57 DOP 2,208

-2.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.52 DOP 1,793

$25.15 DOP 1,478

21.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 DOP 1,446

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 DOP 454

$7.84 DOP 461

-1.53%

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

$263 DOP 15.4K

$256 DOP 15.1K

2.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,446 DOP 437.5K

$7,507 DOP 441.1K

-0.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.94 DOP 2,758

$45.91 DOP 2,698

2.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.16 DOP 2,830

$46.82 DOP 2,751

2.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 DOP 5,133

$89.3 DOP 5,250

-2.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 DOP 7,534

$126 DOP 7,428

1.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 DOP 42.7K

$706 DOP 41.5K

2.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 DOP 21.1K

$504 DOP 29.6K

-28.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 DOP 85.8K

$1,208 DOP 71.0K

20.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 DOP 37.3K

$793 DOP 46.6K

-19.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,204 DOP 129.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,204 DOP 70.7K

$302 DOP 17.7K

298.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 DOP 35.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.56

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

Last update for Santo Domingo: September 13, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $727 in Santo Domingo and $706 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Santo Domingo vs $51.0 in Cabarete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $223 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

Santo Domingo wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Cabarete. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santo Domingo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,709 in Santo Domingo and $1,824 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: $727 in Santo Domingo versus $706 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $263 in Santo Domingo versus $256 in Cabarete. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santo Domingo – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $51.0 in Cabarete. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,139 in Santo Domingo versus $1,216 in Cabarete, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santo Domingo but tight or insufficient in Cabarete. The gap between the two cities makes Santo Domingo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santo Domingo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,139 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santo Domingo 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 Santo Domingo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Cabarete. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.