Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Domingo and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Santo Domingo: $1,122 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $31,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Santo Domingo
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Santo Domingo Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Santo Domingo

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$1,122

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santo Domingo and in Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,122 in Santo Domingo versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA.

Santo Domingo $1,122
Seattle, WA $3,744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,761 in Santo Domingo versus $5,703 in Seattle, WA.

Santo Domingo $1,761
Seattle, WA $5,703

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,401 in Santo Domingo versus $7,661 in Seattle, WA.

Santo Domingo $2,401
Seattle, WA $7,661

Living in Santo Domingo costs roughly 70% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santo Domingo is 16% below, Seattle, WA is 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 DOP 621

$24.56 $24.56

-58.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 DOP 3,075

$99.5 $99.5

-49.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 DOP 474

$15.30 $15.30

-49.08%

Cappuccino

$2.23 DOP 136

$6.62 $6.62

-66.31%

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

$1.02 DOP 62.3

$3.25 $3.25

-68.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 DOP 33.07

$3.11 $3.11

-82.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 DOP 155

$7.77 $7.77

-67.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 DOP 201

$7.93 $7.93

-58.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 DOP 81.0

$1.21 $1.21

9.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 DOP 91.3

$4.94 $4.94

-69.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 DOP 99.1

$6.17 $6.17

-73.58%

Eggs

$2.36 DOP 143

$4.96 $4.96

-52.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.40 DOP 450

$19.00 $19.00

-61.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.59 DOP 340

$18.69 $18.69

-70.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 DOP 408

$23.14 $23.14

-71.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 DOP 194

$5.93 $5.93

-46.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 DOP 51.7

$1.94 $1.94

-56.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 DOP 168

$5.19 $5.19

-46.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 DOP 113

$6.55 $6.55

-71.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 DOP 126

$3.62 $3.62

-42.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 DOP 137

$3.16 $3.16

-28.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 DOP 62.9

$2.91 $2.91

-64.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 DOP 58.9

$2.38 $2.38

-59.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.19 DOP 316

$12.36 $12.36

-58.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.24 DOP 623

$15.02 $15.02

-31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 DOP 154

$4.30 $4.30

-41.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 DOP 181

$5.69 $5.69

-47.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 DOP 36.51

$3.05 $3.05

-80.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.04 DOP 1,098

$109 $109

-83.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 DOP 205

$2.64 $2.64

27.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 DOP 134

$1.74 $1.74

27.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 DOP 347

$30.02 $30.02

-80.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 DOP 87.2

$1.46 $1.46

-2.05%

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

$23.4K DOP 1.4M

$36.7K $36.7K

-36.38%

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

$34.2K DOP 2.1M

$25.7K $25.7K

33.00%

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

$93.8 DOP 5,708

$299 $299

-68.68%

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

$31.81 DOP 1,936

$69.7 $69.7

-54.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.01 DOP 2,253

$90.1 $90.1

-58.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.96 DOP 1,824

$80.0 $80.0

-62.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.22 DOP 1,474

$35.62 $35.62

-32.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.30 DOP 445

$17.33 $17.33

-57.88%

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

$256 DOP 15.6K

$2,986 $2,986

-91.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,297 DOP 444.2K

$31.3K $31.3K

-76.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.66 DOP 2,780

$77.7 $77.7

-41.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.81 DOP 2,849

$54.9 $54.9

-14.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 DOP 5,362

$126 $126

-30.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 DOP 7,674

$165 $165

-23.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 DOP 43.3K

$2,407 $2,407

-70.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 DOP 21.2K

$1,963 $1,963

-82.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 DOP 88.4K

$4,788 $4,788

-69.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 DOP 37.9K

$3,561 $3,561

-82.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,205 DOP 134.2K

$7,430 $7,430

-70.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,203 DOP 73.2K

$5,010 $5,010

-75.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 DOP 35.9K

$6,280 $6,280

-90.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.56

6.85

97.96%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Santo Domingo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santo Domingo

$348 31.5%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6% 464% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Santo Domingo

$221 20%

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2% 144% $320

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santo Domingo

$163 14.7%

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1% 183% $297

Eating Out

Santo Domingo

$157 14.2%

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6% 155% $245

Clothing & Footwear

Santo Domingo

$138 12.5%

Seattle, WA

$191 5% 38.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Santo Domingo

$45 4%

Seattle, WA

$115 3% 157% $70

Getting Around

Santo Domingo

$35 3.2%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 279% $97

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Santo Domingo and $2,407 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 964% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $51.0 in Santo Domingo vs $99.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $541 per month, with Santo Domingo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Santo Domingo

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

3 h behind Santo Domingo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

965,040 Capital

737,015

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.64 USD

100 DOP = 1.47 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇴 Dominican Peso ($)

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 60.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.64 USD). 1 EUR = 68.21 DOP (100 DOP = 1.47 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to DOP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santo Domingo Seattle, WA 5,710 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Santo Domingo
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santo Domingo and Seattle, WA differ by about 234% in total monthly costs ($1,122 vs $3,744 including rent). Santo Domingo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 964% lower in Seattle, WA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $712 in Santo Domingo versus $2,407 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Santo Domingo – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,122 per month in Santo Domingo versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA – a 234% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,122 in Santo Domingo versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santo Domingo but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Santo Domingo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Santo Domingo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 234% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.