Moving to Dominican Republic from Australia

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Dominican Republic — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Australia to Dominican Republic, you would find that Dominican Republic is 44.8% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$107,867 salary in Australia would need to be roughly DOP2,538,699 in Dominican Republic to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Santo Domingo averages 87°F vs 67°F in Canberra, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to Dominican Republic.

What does your salary buy?

A$107,867 DOP2,538,699

To maintain the same standard of living in Dominican Republic

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 56.3% less

Groceries

pay 36.8% less

Transportation

pay 11.4% less

Housing

pay 56.6% less

Childcare

pay 74.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 58.0% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 AUD = 40.87 DOP (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Dominican Republic cost about 41% less than cities in Australia.

Australia

Sydney 64%
Melbourne 60%
Perth 57%
Brisbane 57%
Adelaide 55%

Dominican Republic

Santiago 25%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Australia to Dominican Republic, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
41 ↑ 2% vs 2015

people born in Australia live in Dominican Republic · UN DESA

Who's moving to Dominican Republic?

Top countries of origin for Dominican Republic's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Australia and Dominican Republic stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

AU
0.8
DO
12.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AU
4.5
DO
27.4

Australia performs better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

AU
$7,691
DO
$1,169
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

AU
39.8
DO
22.3

Dominican Republic generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AU
10.0
DO
27.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AU
14.1t
DO
3.0t

Australia generally does better on environment, though Dominican Republic leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AU
35.1
DO
10.7
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AU
4.6%
DO
39.5%

Australia performs better than Dominican Republic across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

AU
3.7%
DO
5.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

AU
$59,500
DO
$23,100

Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Dominican Republic leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

AU
83.1 yrs
DO
72.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AU
3.0
DO
21.2

Australia performs better than Dominican Republic across all family life metrics.

Data: Australian Taxation Office, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Canberra Rain: 24.8 in/yr (629 mm)
67° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Santo Domingo Rain: 57.0 in/yr (1447 mm)
87° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Canberra Santo Domingo
Jan–Mar 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) 85°/67°F (29°/20°C)
Apr–Jun 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) 87°/72°F (30°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) 89°/73°F (31°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) 87°/71°F (30°/21°C)
View all months
Month Canberra Santo Domingo
Jan 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C)
Feb 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C)
Mar 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C)
Apr 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C)
May 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C)
Jun 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C)
Jul 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C)
Aug 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C)
Sep 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C)
Oct 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C)
Nov 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C)
Dec 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C)

Data: Bureau of Meteorology Bureau of Meteorology, Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and Dominican Republic. To live, work, or study long-term in Dominican Republic, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Dominican Republic's immigration authority.

Australia passport

Australia passport holder visiting Dominican Republic

Visa Free
Australia passport holders can enter Dominican Republic without a visa.
Dominican Republic passport

Dominican Republic passport holder visiting Australia

Visa Required
Dominican Republic passport holders need a visa to enter Australia.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Dominican Republic than Australia?

Generally yes: Dominican Republic runs about 42% cheaper than Australia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Dominican Republic?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$107,867 comparable salary, that's around DOP634,675 in Dominican Republic for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Dominican Republic?

With 10.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Dominican Republic can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Australia and Dominican Republic.

Is Dominican Republic safe for expats?

Australia performs better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Dominican Republic is 12.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.

How is healthcare in Dominican Republic compared to Australia?

Dominican Republic generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 22.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Dominican Republic, compared to 39.8 in Australia. Dominican Republic scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).

What's the weather like in Dominican Republic compared to Australia?

The average high temperature in Santo Domingo is 87°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Santo Domingo receives around 57.0 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.

What language do they speak in Dominican Republic?

The official language in Dominican Republic is Spanish. In Australia, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

AU DO
Population 26,141,369 10,694,700
Currency Australian Dollar (A$) Dominican Peso (DOP)
Languages English Spanish
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +61 +1
Time zones 8 1
Emergency number 000 911