Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Domingo and La Romana

For one person, living is cheaper in La Romana: $627 a month against $1,100 in Santo Domingo, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Santo Domingo
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Santo Domingo Living Index

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Santo Domingo

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$1,100

/mo nomad

La Romana

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santo Domingo and in La Romana

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

A single person spends $1,100 per month in Santo Domingo vs $627 in La Romana, rent included.

Santo Domingo $1,100
La Romana $627

A couple spends around $1,735 per month in Santo Domingo vs $1,011 in La Romana, rent included.

Santo Domingo $1,735
La Romana $1,011

A family of three spends $2,370 per month in Santo Domingo vs $1,395 in La Romana, rent included.

Santo Domingo $2,370
La Romana $1,395

Santo Domingo costs about 75% more than La Romana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Santo Domingo and La Romana are more affordable than the global median – Santo Domingo 19% lower, La Romana 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.66 DOP 584

$8.32 DOP 503

16.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 DOP 3,169

$41.07 DOP 2,483

27.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 DOP 457

$6.93 DOP 419

9.09%

Cappuccino

$2.42 DOP 146

$1.82 DOP 110

32.97%

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

$1.05 DOP 63.7

$0.72 DOP 43.69

45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 DOP 35.57

$0.32 DOP 19.33

84.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 DOP 151

$2.38 DOP 144

4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 DOP 183

$3.84 DOP 232

-21.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 DOP 82.6

$1.07 DOP 64.8

28.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 DOP 95.6

$1.78 DOP 108

-11.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 DOP 94.0

$1.53 DOP 92.4

1.31%

Eggs

$2.37 DOP 143

$1.48 DOP 89.3

60.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.16 DOP 433

$6.36 DOP 384

12.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.46 DOP 330

$3.47 DOP 210

57.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.50 DOP 393

$4.75 DOP 287

36.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 DOP 194

$3.74 DOP 226

-13.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 DOP 49.73

$1.38 DOP 83.3

-40.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 DOP 167

$3.34 DOP 202

-17.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 DOP 110

$2.17 DOP 131

-16.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 DOP 124

$3.51 DOP 212

-41.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 DOP 130

$2.95 DOP 179

-27.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 DOP 60.5

$0.94 DOP 56.6

6.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 DOP 60.0

$1.60 DOP 96.6

-38.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 DOP 330

$4.69 DOP 284

16.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 DOP 631

$16.13 DOP 975

-35.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 DOP 152

$3.01 DOP 182

-16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 DOP 174

$3.33 DOP 201

-13.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 DOP 36.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.72 DOP 1,011

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 DOP 204

$2.41 DOP 146

39.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 DOP 136

$3.34 DOP 202

-32.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 DOP 341

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 DOP 85.1

$1.37 DOP 83.1

2.92%

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

$29.1K DOP 1.8M

$14.5K DOP 878.5K

100.43%

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

$33.3K DOP 2.0M

$25.3K DOP 1.5M

31.70%

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

$91.9 DOP 5,557

$92.3 DOP 5,582

-0.43%

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

$31.92 DOP 1,930

$9.95 DOP 602

220.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 DOP 2,208

$38.80 DOP 2,346

-5.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 DOP 1,806

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 DOP 1,483

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 DOP 439

$4.93 DOP 298

47.46%

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

$247 DOP 14.9K

$145 DOP 8,779

69.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,515 DOP 514.8K

$5,443 DOP 329.1K

56.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.01 DOP 2,721

$25.87 DOP 1,564

73.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.24 DOP 2,856

$45.03 DOP 2,723

4.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 DOP 5,342

$60.9 DOP 3,681

45.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 DOP 7,381

$65.0 DOP 3,932

87.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 DOP 45.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 DOP 21.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 DOP 87.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 DOP 37.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,511 DOP 151.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,336 DOP 80.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$675 DOP 40.8K

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 Santo Domingo: November 1, 2026

Last update for La Romana: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santo Domingo

$351 31.9%

La Romana

–

Groceries & Markets

Santo Domingo

$220 20%

La Romana

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santo Domingo

$160 14.6%

La Romana

–

Eating Out

Santo Domingo

$154 14%

La Romana

–

Clothing & Footwear

Santo Domingo

$136 12.4%

La Romana

–

Sport & Entertainment

Santo Domingo

$44 4%

La Romana

–

Getting Around

Santo Domingo

$34 3.1%

La Romana

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Santo Domingo versus $41 in La Romana. Groceries tell a different story – $220 in Santo Domingo vs $236 in La Romana – so Santo Domingo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Santo Domingo

🇩🇴 La Romana

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

Same time as Santo Domingo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

965,040 Capital

567,431

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.65 USD

100 DOP = 1.48 EUR

100 DOP = 1.65 USD

100 DOP = 1.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Santo Domingo La Romana 100 km

From you

Santo Domingo
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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

Santo Domingo vs La Romana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santo Domingo is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,650 per month in Santo Domingo and $941 in La Romana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,100 in Santo Domingo and $627 in La Romana. That makes La Romana about 43% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $247 per month in Santo Domingo and $145 in La Romana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in La Romana, where all-in costs run around $627, than in Santo Domingo at $1,100. In La Romana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santo Domingo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Santo Domingo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $627 in La Romana to $1,100 in Santo Domingo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.