Moving to Dominican Republic from China
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from China to Dominican Republic — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from China to Dominican Republic, you would find that Dominican Republic is 39.3% more expensive than China overall. A CN¥500,000 salary in China would need to be roughly DOP6,400,000 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 68°F in Shanghai, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Dominican Republic cheaper than China?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 99.1% more
Groceries
pay 30.6% more
Transportation
pay 25.8% more
Housing
pay 86.9% more
Childcare
pay 65.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.5% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Dominican Republic?
What does your salary buy?
CN¥500,000 → DOP6,400,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Dominican Republic
Calculate with your salary →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 3% more than cities in China.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from China 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
- · · ·
-
7.3,942
China
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from China 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
China 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
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Dominican Republic leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Dominican Republic performs significantly better than China across all environment metrics.
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
China generally does better on infrastructure, though Dominican Republic leads in water stress level.
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
China 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
China performs better than Dominican Republic across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), State Administration of Taxation (2016), Direccion General de Impuestos Internos (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Dominican Republic vs China
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Shanghai | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/36°F (10°/2°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/60°F (23°/16°C) | 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/47°F (17°/9°C) | 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) |
View all months
| Month | Shanghai | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/33°F (7.7°/0.5°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) |
| Feb | 47°/35°F (8.6°/1.5°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) |
| Mar | 55°/41°F (12.7°/5.1°C) | 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) |
| Apr | 65°/51°F (18.6°/10.6°C) | 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) |
| May | 74°/60°F (23.5°/15.7°C) | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) |
| Jun | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.3°C) | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) |
| Jul | 89°/77°F (31.6°/24.8°C) | 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) |
| Aug | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.7°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) |
| Sep | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.5°C) | 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.3°/14.7°C) | 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) |
| Nov | 62°/47°F (16.7°/8.6°C) | 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) |
| Dec | 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.4°C) | 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) |
Data:
China Meteorological Administration,
Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá
Can you move from China to Dominican Republic?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between China 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.
China passport holder visiting Dominican Republic
Visa Required
Dominican Republic passport holder visiting China
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 China?
No — Dominican Republic is on average about 39% more expensive than China. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Dominican Republic?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly DOP1,600,000 in Dominican Republic on a CN¥500,000 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 11.2 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?
China performs better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Dominican Republic is 10.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in China. About 40% of people in Dominican Republic feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Dominican Republic compared to China?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Dominican Republic leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 24.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Dominican Republic, compared to 31.1 in China. Dominican Republic scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (China: 81).
What's the weather like in Dominican Republic compared to China?
The average high temperature in Santo Domingo is 87°F, compared to 68°F in Shanghai. Santo Domingo receives around 57.0 in of rainfall per year, while Shanghai gets 43.8 in.
What language do they speak in Dominican Republic?
The official language in Dominican Republic is Spanish. In China, the official language is Chinese.
