Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Domingo and Las Terrenas Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Domingo and Las Terrenas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,112 in Santo Domingo versus $1,097 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,831 in Santo Domingo versus $1,645 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,550 in Santo Domingo versus $2,194 in Las Terrenas.

Living in Santo Domingo is roughly 1% more expensive than Las Terrenas, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santo Domingo 17% lower, Las Terrenas 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.51 DOP 503

$6.64 DOP 392

28.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 DOP 3,040

$47.74 DOP 2,821

7.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 DOP 437

$7.23 DOP 427

2.21%

Cappuccino

$2.67 DOP 158

$2.05 DOP 121

30.24%

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

$0.99 DOP 58.4

$1.03 DOP 61.0

-3.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 DOP 49.53

$0.79 DOP 46.39

6.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 DOP 147

$2.58 DOP 153

-3.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 DOP 293

$5.03 DOP 297

-1.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 DOP 82.6

$1.29 DOP 76.4

8.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 DOP 107

$1.46 DOP 86.2

23.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 DOP 87.9

$1.22 DOP 72.3

22.13%

Eggs

$2.29 DOP 135

$1.65 DOP 97.5

38.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 DOP 426

$7.07 DOP 418

1.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 DOP 365

$6.42 DOP 380

-3.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.20 DOP 662

$10.82 DOP 639

3.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 DOP 190

$2.48 DOP 147

29.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 DOP 51.3

$0.92 DOP 54.1

-5.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 DOP 173

$1.22 DOP 72.0

139.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 DOP 117

$1.22 DOP 72.3

62.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 DOP 150

$1.20 DOP 71.1

111.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 DOP 140

$2.36 DOP 140

0.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 DOP 64.5

$0.82 DOP 48.73

32.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 DOP 54.2

$0.49 DOP 28.74

87.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 DOP 334

$5.00 DOP 295

13.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.49 DOP 679

$11.74 DOP 694

-2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 DOP 154

$2.31 DOP 136

12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 DOP 189

$2.41 DOP 142

33.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 DOP 35.94

$1.72 DOP 102

-64.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.4 DOP 4,039

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 DOP 195

$3.43 DOP 202

-3.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 DOP 127

$2.11 DOP 124

1.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 DOP 356

$6.01 DOP 355

0.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 DOP 75.6

$1.25 DOP 74.1

2.40%

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

$26.9K DOP 1.6M

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

2.80%

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

$32.1K DOP 1.9M

$31.2K DOP 1.8M

2.62%

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

$74.8 DOP 4,421

$75.8 DOP 4,477

-1.25%

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

$25.08 DOP 1,482

$23.02 DOP 1,360

8.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.59 DOP 2,103

$35.41 DOP 2,092

0.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.79 DOP 2,115

$21.17 DOP 1,251

69.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.55 DOP 860

$17.25 DOP 1,019

-15.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.84 DOP 404

$6.89 DOP 407

-0.73%

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

$273 DOP 16.1K

$85.9 DOP 5,078

217.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,074 DOP 477.1K

$4,721 DOP 279.0K

71.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 DOP 3,579

$43.34 DOP 2,561

39.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 DOP 3,114

$41.67 DOP 2,463

26.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 DOP 5,576

$71.5 DOP 4,224

31.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 DOP 6,944

$83.7 DOP 4,945

40.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 DOP 33.8K

$762 DOP 45.0K

-24.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 DOP 17.0K

$460 DOP 27.2K

-37.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 DOP 68.8K

$1,431 DOP 84.5K

-18.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 DOP 39.1K

$685 DOP 40.5K

-3.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,167 DOP 128.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 DOP 71.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$629 DOP 37.2K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $572 in Santo Domingo and $762 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Santo Domingo vs $48.00 in Las Terrenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $211 per month, with Las Terrenas 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 Las Terrenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Terrenas wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Santo Domingo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Las Terrenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,668 in Santo Domingo and $1,645 in Las Terrenas 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: $572 in Santo Domingo versus $762 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $273 in Santo Domingo versus $85.9 in Las Terrenas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Las Terrenas – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $51.0 in Santo Domingo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,097 in Las Terrenas versus $1,112 in Santo Domingo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Las Terrenas but tight or insufficient in Santo Domingo. The gap between the two cities makes Las Terrenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Las Terrenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,097 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Las Terrenas hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Las Terrenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Santo Domingo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.