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: $1,139 in Santo Domingo versus $1,166 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,775 in Santo Domingo versus $2,488 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,410 in Santo Domingo versus $3,810 in Las Terrenas.

Living in Santo Domingo costs roughly 2% less than in Las Terrenas, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santo Domingo 17% lower, Las Terrenas 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.24 DOP 603

$8.54 DOP 503

19.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 DOP 3,045

$41.99 DOP 2,475

23.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 DOP 447

$7.16 DOP 422

5.87%

Cappuccino

$2.46 DOP 145

$1.89 DOP 111

30.16%

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

$1.12 DOP 66.2

$0.74 DOP 43.57

51.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 DOP 37.40

$0.41 DOP 24.18

53.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 DOP 146

$2.51 DOP 148

-1.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 DOP 204

$4.01 DOP 236

-13.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 DOP 82.0

$1.23 DOP 72.5

13.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 DOP 92.1

$1.76 DOP 104

-11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 DOP 98.3

$1.52 DOP 89.8

9.87%

Eggs

$2.41 DOP 142

$1.49 DOP 87.7

61.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.61 DOP 449

$6.32 DOP 372

20.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 DOP 327

$3.74 DOP 220

48.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 DOP 391

$4.81 DOP 283

37.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 DOP 191

$3.70 DOP 218

-12.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 DOP 47.48

$1.43 DOP 84.3

-43.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 DOP 166

$3.29 DOP 194

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 DOP 108

$2.21 DOP 131

-16.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 DOP 119

$3.54 DOP 208

-42.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 DOP 135

$3.07 DOP 181

-25.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 DOP 62.2

$0.96 DOP 56.5

10.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 DOP 59.8

$1.65 DOP 97.1

-38.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.37 DOP 316

$4.77 DOP 281

12.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 DOP 618

$16.62 DOP 980

-36.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 DOP 153

$2.98 DOP 176

-12.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 DOP 182

$3.46 DOP 204

-10.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 DOP 36.20

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.37 DOP 1,083

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 DOP 194

$2.60 DOP 153

26.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 DOP 138

$3.42 DOP 202

-31.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 DOP 341

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 DOP 80.4

$1.33 DOP 78.5

2.26%

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

$24.1K DOP 1.4M

$15.5K DOP 910.7K

55.93%

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

$34.5K DOP 2.0M

$25.5K DOP 1.5M

35.12%

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

$95.1 DOP 5,607

$95.5 DOP 5,627

-0.36%

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

$32.26 DOP 1,901

$27.82 DOP 1,639

15.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.76 DOP 2,166

$39.34 DOP 2,318

-6.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.52 DOP 1,798

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 DOP 1,450

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 DOP 455

$4.95 DOP 292

55.96%

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

$263 DOP 15.5K

$153 DOP 9,038

71.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,446 DOP 438.8K

$5,479 DOP 322.9K

35.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.94 DOP 2,766

$27.48 DOP 1,620

70.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.16 DOP 2,838

$46.19 DOP 2,722

4.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 DOP 5,148

$63.3 DOP 3,731

37.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 DOP 7,556

$68.6 DOP 4,042

86.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 DOP 42.8K

$1,004 DOP 59.2K

-27.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 DOP 21.2K

$509 DOP 30.0K

-29.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 DOP 86.1K

$2,061 DOP 121.5K

-29.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 DOP 37.4K

$2,383 DOP 140.4K

-73.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,204 DOP 129.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,204 DOP 70.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 DOP 35.7K

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $727 in Santo Domingo and $1,004 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Santo Domingo vs $42.00 in Las Terrenas. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $241, with Santo Domingo cheaper for home cooking.

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

Santo Domingo wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Las Terrenas. 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 $1,748 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: $727 in Santo Domingo versus $1,004 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $263 in Santo Domingo versus $153 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 Santo Domingo – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $42.00 in Las Terrenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,139 in Santo Domingo versus $1,166 in Las Terrenas, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santo Domingo but tight or insufficient in Las Terrenas. 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.

Expats usually find Santo Domingo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Las Terrenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.