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: $1,116 in Santo Domingo versus $1,124 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,815 in Santo Domingo versus $1,657 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,514 in Santo Domingo versus $2,189 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 16% lower, Las Terrenas 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.45 DOP 491

$6.61 DOP 384

27.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 DOP 2,987

$46.64 DOP 2,710

10.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 DOP 432

$7.33 DOP 426

1.36%

Cappuccino

$2.63 DOP 153

$2.07 DOP 120

27.05%

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

$0.99 DOP 57.6

$0.98 DOP 57.1

1.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 DOP 44.90

$0.79 DOP 46.06

-2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 DOP 146

$2.59 DOP 150

-3.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 DOP 298

$5.07 DOP 295

1.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 DOP 77.1

$1.30 DOP 75.8

2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 DOP 104

$1.41 DOP 81.9

26.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 DOP 86.3

$1.21 DOP 70.2

22.31%

Eggs

$2.19 DOP 127

$1.65 DOP 95.9

32.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 DOP 420

$7.17 DOP 417

0.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 DOP 364

$6.22 DOP 361

0.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 DOP 631

$10.97 DOP 638

-1.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 DOP 194

$2.53 DOP 147

32.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 DOP 53.9

$0.85 DOP 49.18

9.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 DOP 175

$1.16 DOP 67.2

158.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 DOP 117

$1.16 DOP 67.3

73.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 DOP 144

$1.16 DOP 67.3

113.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 DOP 139

$2.36 DOP 137

1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 DOP 63.6

$0.83 DOP 48.02

31.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 DOP 56.4

$0.53 DOP 30.84

83.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.72 DOP 332

$5.12 DOP 297

11.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.84 DOP 630

$17.36 DOP 1,009

-37.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 DOP 161

$2.31 DOP 134

19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 DOP 181

$2.34 DOP 136

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 DOP 32.87

$1.67 DOP 97.2

-65.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 DOP 3,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 DOP 194

$3.43 DOP 200

-2.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 DOP 122

$2.22 DOP 129

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.99 DOP 348

$5.89 DOP 342

1.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 DOP 77.7

$1.30 DOP 75.8

3.08%

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

$26.6K DOP 1.5M

$26.9K DOP 1.6M

-1.04%

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

$31.8K DOP 1.8M

$31.3K DOP 1.8M

1.33%

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

$77.2 DOP 4,483

$75.7 DOP 4,397

1.96%

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

$25.62 DOP 1,489

$22.67 DOP 1,317

13.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.56 DOP 2,125

$36.61 DOP 2,127

-0.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.14 DOP 2,100

$21.07 DOP 1,224

71.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 DOP 818

$16.64 DOP 967

-15.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 DOP 388

$6.65 DOP 386

0.30%

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

$272 DOP 15.8K

$85.4 DOP 4,965

218.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,123 DOP 472.0K

$4,760 DOP 276.6K

70.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 DOP 3,442

$42.13 DOP 2,448

40.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 DOP 3,041

$41.78 DOP 2,428

25.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 DOP 5,584

$71.8 DOP 4,174

33.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 DOP 6,676

$85.8 DOP 4,985

33.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 DOP 32.8K

$777 DOP 45.2K

-27.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 DOP 16.6K

$455 DOP 26.4K

-37.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 DOP 69.1K

$1,459 DOP 84.8K

-18.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 DOP 38.7K

$669 DOP 38.9K

-0.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,172 DOP 126.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,180 DOP 68.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 DOP 35.0K

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $564 in Santo Domingo and $777 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Santo Domingo vs $47.00 in Las Terrenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $221 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 ($1,116 vs $1,124 including rent). Santo Domingo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,674 in Santo Domingo and $1,686 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: $564 in Santo Domingo versus $777 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $272 in Santo Domingo versus $85.4 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 $47.00 in Las Terrenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,116 in Santo Domingo versus $1,124 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 $1,116 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.