Moving to Dominican Republic from Canada
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Canada to Dominican Republic — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Canada to Dominican Republic, you would find that Dominican Republic is 39.3% cheaper than Canada overall. A CA$106,294 salary in Canada would need to be roughly DOP2,607,417 in Dominican Republic to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Santo Domingo averages 87°F vs 52°F in Ottawa, making it significantly warmer.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Canada to Dominican Republic.
What does your salary buy?
CA$106,294 → DOP2,607,417
To maintain the same standard of living in Dominican Republic
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 52.4% less
Groceries
pay 42.3% less
Transportation
pay 1.4% less
Housing
pay 57.7% less
Childcare
pay 64.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 49.2% less
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 39% less than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Canada to Dominican Republic, based on official data.
Who's moving to Dominican Republic?
Top countries of origin for Dominican Republic's foreign-born residents.
- 496,112
- 34,063
- 14,626
- 7,272
- 4,780
- 4,375
- · · ·
-
14.1,267
Canada
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Canada to Dominican Republic.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Canada performs better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Dominican Republic generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Canada generally does better on environment, though Dominican Republic leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Canada performs better than Dominican Republic across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though Dominican Republic leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Canada performs better than Dominican Republic across all family life metrics.
Data: Canada Revenue Agency, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Ottawa | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada 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.
Canada passport holder visiting Dominican Republic
Visa Free
Dominican Republic passport holder visiting Canada
Visa RequiredData: 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 Canada?
Yes — Dominican Republic is on average about 41% cheaper than Canada. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Dominican Republic?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly DOP651,854 in Dominican Republic on a CA$106,294 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Dominican Republic?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Dominican Republic has 10.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Dominican Republic safe for expats?
Canada performs better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Dominican Republic is 12.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Canada. About 40% of people in Dominican Republic feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Dominican Republic compared to Canada?
Dominican Republic generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 22.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Dominican Republic, compared to 25.0 in Canada. Dominican Republic scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in Dominican Republic compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Santo Domingo is 87°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Santo Domingo receives around 57.0 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Dominican Republic?
The official language in Dominican Republic is Spanish. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
