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: $1,093 in Santo Domingo versus $1,106 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,825 in Santo Domingo versus $1,653 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,557 in Santo Domingo versus $2,200 in Las Terrenas.

Living in Santo Domingo costs roughly 1% less than in Las Terrenas, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santo Domingo 19% lower, Las Terrenas 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.70 DOP 510

$6.72 DOP 394

29.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.3 DOP 3,005

$47.99 DOP 2,811

6.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 DOP 433

$7.22 DOP 423

2.35%

Cappuccino

$2.64 DOP 155

$2.04 DOP 120

29.41%

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

$1.02 DOP 60.0

$1.00 DOP 58.5

2.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 DOP 48.16

$0.84 DOP 49.34

-2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 DOP 152

$2.50 DOP 147

3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 DOP 307

$4.96 DOP 290

5.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 DOP 81.8

$1.23 DOP 72.3

13.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 DOP 104

$1.39 DOP 81.3

28.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 DOP 91.1

$1.17 DOP 68.8

32.48%

Eggs

$2.21 DOP 130

$1.65 DOP 96.7

33.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 DOP 425

$6.95 DOP 407

4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 DOP 380

$6.46 DOP 378

0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 DOP 634

$10.84 DOP 635

-0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 DOP 191

$2.50 DOP 146

30.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 DOP 53.8

$0.85 DOP 49.83

8.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 DOP 176

$1.16 DOP 68.2

159.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 DOP 118

$1.17 DOP 68.4

71.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 DOP 149

$1.21 DOP 70.6

110.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 DOP 138

$2.35 DOP 138

0.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 DOP 66.2

$0.87 DOP 51.0

29.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 DOP 56.5

$0.48 DOP 28.38

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.64 DOP 331

$4.97 DOP 291

13.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 DOP 637

$17.02 DOP 997

-36.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 DOP 153

$2.41 DOP 141

8.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 DOP 191

$2.36 DOP 138

38.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 DOP 33.11

$1.71 DOP 100

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.5 DOP 3,952

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 DOP 195

$3.37 DOP 197

-1.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 DOP 123

$2.22 DOP 130

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 DOP 345

$5.97 DOP 350

-1.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 DOP 75.5

$1.31 DOP 76.5

-1.53%

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

$26.3K DOP 1.5M

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

0.20%

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

$31.6K DOP 1.9M

$31.1K DOP 1.8M

1.68%

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

$77.6 DOP 4,547

$75.0 DOP 4,392

3.53%

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

$25.78 DOP 1,510

$23.36 DOP 1,368

10.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.34 DOP 2,070

$35.70 DOP 2,091

-1.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.18 DOP 2,061

$21.37 DOP 1,252

64.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.20 DOP 832

$17.25 DOP 1,011

-17.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 DOP 386

$6.64 DOP 389

-0.75%

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

$271 DOP 15.9K

$85.6 DOP 5,015

216.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,996 DOP 468.4K

$4,650 DOP 272.4K

71.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 DOP 3,452

$42.39 DOP 2,483

39.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 DOP 3,027

$42.95 DOP 2,516

20.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 DOP 5,583

$71.6 DOP 4,196

33.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 DOP 6,873

$85.8 DOP 5,028

36.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$560 DOP 32.8K

$767 DOP 44.9K

-26.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 DOP 16.7K

$451 DOP 26.4K

-36.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 DOP 68.9K

$1,471 DOP 86.1K

-19.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 DOP 39.2K

$666 DOP 39.0K

0.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,164 DOP 126.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,193 DOP 69.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$651 DOP 38.1K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $560 in Santo Domingo and $767 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 $247 vs $220 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

Santo Domingo and Las Terrenas differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,093 vs $1,106 including rent). Santo Domingo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,640 in Santo Domingo and $1,659 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: $560 in Santo Domingo versus $767 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $271 in Santo Domingo versus $85.6 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 $51.0 versus $48.00 in Las Terrenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,093 in Santo Domingo versus $1,106 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 $1,093 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 1% less than in Las Terrenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.