Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Domingo and Sosua Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Domingo and Sosua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,116 in Santo Domingo versus $1,198 in Sosua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,815 in Santo Domingo versus $2,075 in Sosua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,514 in Santo Domingo versus $2,953 in Sosua.

Living in Santo Domingo costs roughly 7% less than in Sosua, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santo Domingo 16% lower, Sosua 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.45 DOP 491

$8.35 DOP 485

1.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 DOP 2,987

$50.9 DOP 2,959

0.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 DOP 432

$7.10 DOP 413

4.65%

Cappuccino

$2.63 DOP 153

$2.72 DOP 158

-3.31%

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

$0.99 DOP 57.6

$1.02 DOP 59.3

-2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 DOP 44.90

$0.77 DOP 44.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 DOP 146

$2.48 DOP 144

1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 DOP 298

$4.97 DOP 289

3.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 DOP 77.1

$1.38 DOP 80.4

-3.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 DOP 104

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 DOP 86.3

$1.12 DOP 64.9

32.14%

Eggs

$2.19 DOP 127

$1.82 DOP 106

20.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 DOP 420

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 DOP 364

$6.39 DOP 371

-2.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 DOP 631

$7.81 DOP 454

38.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 DOP 194

$2.55 DOP 148

30.98%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 DOP 53.9

$0.82 DOP 47.79

13.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 DOP 175

$2.93 DOP 170

2.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 DOP 117

$1.96 DOP 114

2.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 DOP 144

$2.35 DOP 136

5.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 DOP 139

$2.27 DOP 132

5.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 DOP 63.6

$1.04 DOP 60.2

4.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 DOP 56.4

$0.78 DOP 45.21

24.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.72 DOP 332

$5.91 DOP 344

-3.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.84 DOP 630

$10.91 DOP 634

-0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 DOP 161

$2.57 DOP 150

7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 DOP 181

$2.53 DOP 147

23.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 DOP 32.87

$0.66 DOP 38.20

-13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 DOP 3,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 DOP 194

$3.48 DOP 202

-4.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 DOP 122

$2.20 DOP 128

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.99 DOP 348

$5.82 DOP 338

2.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 DOP 77.7

$1.27 DOP 73.7

5.51%

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

$26.6K DOP 1.5M

$26.3K DOP 1.5M

1.01%

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

$31.8K DOP 1.8M

$32.0K DOP 1.9M

-0.80%

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

$77.2 DOP 4,483

$77.4 DOP 4,496

-0.28%

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

$25.62 DOP 1,489

$20.00 DOP 1,162

28.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.56 DOP 2,125

$36.71 DOP 2,133

-0.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.14 DOP 2,100

$25.00 DOP 1,453

44.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 DOP 818

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 DOP 388

$6.62 DOP 385

0.76%

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

$272 DOP 15.8K

$266 DOP 15.5K

2.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,123 DOP 472.0K

$6,285 DOP 365.2K

29.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 DOP 3,442

$60.0 DOP 3,484

-1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 DOP 3,041

$51.3 DOP 2,979

2.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 DOP 5,584

$97.7 DOP 5,679

-1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 DOP 6,676

$114 DOP 6,600

1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 DOP 32.8K

$468 DOP 27.2K

20.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 DOP 16.6K

$465 DOP 27.0K

-38.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 DOP 69.1K

$1,425 DOP 82.8K

-16.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 DOP 38.7K

$1,300 DOP 75.6K

-48.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,172 DOP 126.2K

$1,946 DOP 113.1K

11.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,180 DOP 68.5K

$1,802 DOP 104.7K

-34.54%

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 Sosua: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $564 in Santo Domingo and $468 in Sosua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Santo Domingo vs $51.0 in Sosua. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $225, with Sosua 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 Sosua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santo Domingo and Sosua differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,116 vs $1,198 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 $1,797 in Sosua 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 $468 in Sosua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $272 in Santo Domingo versus $266 in Sosua. 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 $51.0 in Sosua. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,116 in Santo Domingo versus $1,198 in Sosua, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santo Domingo but tight or insufficient in Sosua. 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 7% less than in Sosua. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.