Moving to Dominican Republic from Costa Rica
What to Expect
Considering a move from Costa Rica to Dominican Republic? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Dominican Republic, you would find that Dominican Republic is 33.3% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC34,000,000 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly DOP3,010,000 in Dominican Republic to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Santo Domingo averages 87°F vs 77°F in San Jose, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Costa Rica and Dominican Republic.
What does your salary buy?
CRC34,000,000 → DOP3,010,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Dominican Republic
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 39.2% less
Groceries
pay 37.0% less
Transportation
pay 27.2% less
Housing
pay 25.7% less
Childcare
pay 66.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.8% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Costa Rica to Dominican Republic.
people born in Costa Rica live in Dominican Republic · UN DESA
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
- · · ·
-
28.320
Costa Rica
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Dominican Republic compared to Costa Rica.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Costa Rica generally does better on safety, though Dominican Republic leads in homicide rate.
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 Costa Rica 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
Costa Rica performs better than Dominican Republic 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
Costa Rica generally does better on infrastructure, though Dominican Republic leads in internet access.
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
Costa Rica generally does better on employment & economy, though Dominican Republic leads in unemployment 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
Costa Rica performs better than Dominican Republic across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica (2016), Direccion General de Impuestos Internos (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | San Jose | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica 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.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Dominican Republic
Visa Free
Dominican Republic passport holder visiting Costa Rica
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 Costa Rica?
On average Dominican Republic is about 33% less expensive than Costa Rica, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Dominican Republic?
Budget about DOP752,500 for 3 months in Dominican Republic (based on a CRC34,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Dominican Republic?
Connectivity is usually fine (Dominican Republic: 11.2 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Dominican Republic offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Dominican Republic safe for expats?
Costa Rica generally does better on safety, though Dominican Republic leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Dominican Republic is 10.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.8 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Dominican Republic compared to Costa Rica?
Dominican Republic generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 24.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Dominican Republic, compared to 26.9 in Costa Rica. Dominican Republic scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Dominican Republic compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Santo Domingo is 87°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Santo Domingo receives around 57.0 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Dominican Republic?
Both Costa Rica and Dominican Republic share the same official language: Spanish.
