Country topic
Cost of living in Dominican Republic
Prices overall are about 0.39 of United States prices at market exchange rates (World Bank price level index, 2025: 38.51 where the United States is 100). This is an economy-wide average, not a budget. [Cost of living C1] Six one-bedroom adverts in Santo Domingo (Ensanche Naco, Los Cacicazgos, El Millón, Zona Universitaria and Serrallés), seen on 15 October 2026, asked RD$49,000 to RD$92,518 a month, about US$794 to US$1,500 at the central bank's selling rate. These are asking rents on individual adverts, not a city average, and none shows a publication date, so availability is unconfirmed. [C2] [C3] [C4] [C5] [C6] [C7] [C8]
What we found
The research, with its sources.
Research information, not advice. Rules change, so check the source before you act on one.
- Prices overall are about 0.39 of United States prices at market exchange rates (World Bank price level index, 2025: 38.51 where the United States is 100). This is an economy-wide average, not a budget. [Cost of living C1]
- Six one-bedroom adverts in Santo Domingo (Ensanche Naco, Los Cacicazgos, El Millón, Zona Universitaria and Serrallés), seen on 15 October 2026, asked RD$49,000 to RD$92,518 a month, about US$794 to US$1,500 at the central bank's selling rate. These are asking rents on individual adverts, not a city average, and none shows a publication date, so availability is unconfirmed. [C2] [C3] [C4] [C5] [C6] [C7] [C8]
- What the rent includes differs. A furnished 70 m² flat in Ensanche Naco asked US$950 (about RD$58,595) with two air conditioners, a generator and shared gas with no meter. An unfurnished 80 m² flat in Los Cacicazgos asked US$950 with maintenance included. In Zona Universitaria, a furnished flat asked RD$49,000 with maintenance included and another US$1,000 (about RD$61,679) with maintenance and internet included. A new flat in El Millón asked US$800 (about RD$49,343). [C2] [C3] [C4] [C5] [C6] [C8]
- Most of these adverts are priced in US dollars, so their peso cost moves with the exchange rate. The Banco Central's selling rate was RD$61.6788 per US dollar at the close of 14 October 2026 (buying rate RD$61.1477). The file is replaced daily. Deposit and rent in advance are not stated in the Naco, Cap Cana or Cabarete adverts, so they are unknown. [C8] [C2] [C9] [C10]
- Outside the capital we found one advert each. A furnished 85 m² one-bedroom in Cap Cana (Punta Cana area) asked US$1,500 (about RD$92,518) with maintenance, internet, filtered water and property insurance included and electricity separate. A furnished 117 m² two-bedroom beachfront flat in Cabarete asked US$1,450 (about RD$89,434); the advert has been up a while (889 views), so confirm it is still available. No one-bedroom in Cabarete could be opened. [C9] [C10] [C8]
- Not priced, so unknown: electricity, internet, groceries, cafés and leisure, local transport, private health insurance and incidentals. We found no dated, sourced figure for any of them, so there is no complete monthly budget, and personal tax and social contributions are excluded. One known consumption cost is ITBIS, a value-added tax of 18% with exemptions set by law (PwC, a private adviser). [C11]
- Medicare usually does not cover health care outside the US. The Government of Canada says good health care is only available in major cities, that private hospitals and doctors may ask for payment in advance or proof of insurance, and advises insurance that covers medical evacuation. The World Health Organization's universal health coverage service index was 73 out of 100 in 2023, down from 77 to 78 in 2020 to 2022. We found no priced private health plan, so that cost is unknown. [C12] [C13] [C14]
- Setting up costs are fixed. The RS residence visa is US$200 for rentistas and retirees. DGM's pensioner and rentista pages list RD$28,800 for the file, RD$3,500 for the card and RD$6,300 for medical exams, RD$38,600 in all (about US$626 at the selling rate). The guarantee policy premium is not published, so it is unknown. As a visitor, the US$10 tourist card is included in an air ticket, and a stay extension costs RD$3,500 (30 to 90 days) or RD$5,600 (90 to 120 days). [C15] [C16] [C17] [C18] [C19] [C8]
The Fernshore Index
How the Index grades the cost of living.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
83 of 100Strong
Price level 0.385 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), Dominican Republic. Checked 15 October 2026.
The country
More on Dominican Republic.
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Questions about Cost of living in Dominican Republic.
How much does it cost to live in the Dominican Republic?
Prices overall are about 0.39 of US prices (World Bank price level index, 2025), an economy-wide average rather than a budget. We found dated prices only for rent; electricity, internet, groceries, transport and health insurance are unknown, so there is no complete monthly budget.
How much is rent for a one-bedroom flat in Santo Domingo?
Six asking rents seen on 15 October 2026 ran from RD$49,000 to RD$92,518 a month (about US$794 to US$1,500), mostly priced in US dollars. They are individual adverts, not a city average, and what the rent includes differs: some add maintenance or internet, some nothing.
Are rents in the Dominican Republic priced in dollars or pesos?
Most adverts we saw were priced in US dollars, so the peso cost moves with the rate. The Banco Central's selling rate was RD$61.6788 per dollar at the close of 14 October 2026. Deposits and rent in advance were not stated in the Naco, Cap Cana or Cabarete adverts, so they are unknown.
How much does health care cost in the Dominican Republic?
Unknown: we found no priced private health plan. Medicare usually does not cover care outside the US, and the Government of Canada says private hospitals and doctors may ask for payment in advance or proof of insurance, and advises cover that includes medical evacuation.
What does it cost to get residence in the Dominican Republic?
For pensioners and rentistas, DGM lists RD$28,800 for the file, RD$3,500 for the card and RD$6,300 for medical exams, RD$38,600 in all (about US$626), plus the US$200 RS visa. The guarantee policy premium is not published, so it is unknown.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [DO C1] Price level index (GDP), Dominican Republic, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 38.51 (United States = 100; 38.5055), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [Cost of living C1] Price level index (GDP), Dominican Republic, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C2] Furnished one-bedroom flat, Ensanche Naco (ad 1443344), SuperCasas (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C3] One-bedroom flat in a 17-storey tower, Los Cacicazgos (ad 1438180), SuperCasas (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C4] New one-bedroom flat, El Millón (ad 1441978), SuperCasas (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C5] Furnished one-bedroom flat, Zona Universitaria, RD$49,000 (ad 1440760), SuperCasas (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C6] Furnished one-bedroom flat in a new tower, Zona Universitaria, US$1,000 (ad 1421611), SuperCasas (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C7] Furnished one-bedroom flat, Serrallés (ad 1450916), SuperCasas (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C8] Central bank exchange rate: US dollar buying and selling rates at the close of 14 October 2026, Banco Central de la República Dominicana. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C9] Furnished one-bedroom flat in Ciudad Las Canas, Cap Cana, Punta Cana area (ad 1447386), SuperCasas (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C10] Furnished two-bedroom beachfront flat, Cabarete (ad 1371266), SuperCasas (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C11] Dominican Republic individual tax summary: other taxes (social security, VAT), PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries (private adviser, not official). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C12] Travel outside the U.S., Medicare.gov. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C13] Dominican Republic travel advice and advisories, Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C14] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C15] Consular fees, including residence visas, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MIREX), Servicios360. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C16] Residence by investment as a retiree or pensioner (English page), Dirección General de Migración (DGM), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C17] Residence by investment as a rentista (English page), Dirección General de Migración (DGM), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C18] About the tourist card (Tarjeta de Turista), Dirección General de Impuestos Internos (DGII). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C19] Stay extension for foreigners (Spanish page), Dirección General de Migración (DGM), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026.