Moving to Illinois from Dominican Republic
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Dominican Republic to Illinois — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Dominican Republic to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 2.5 times more expensive than Dominican Republic overall. A DOP4,399,196 salary in Dominican Republic would need to be roughly $123,913 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Springfield averages 63°F vs 87°F in Santo Domingo, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Dominican Republic to Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
DOP4,399,196 → $123,913
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.5 times more
Groceries
pay 91.0% more
Transportation
pay 23.9% more
Housing
pay 2.8 times more
Childcare
pay 5.9 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.2 times 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.
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 Illinois cost about 81% more than cities in Dominican Republic.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Dominican Republic to Illinois, based on official data.
people moved from Dominican Republic to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
10.1,167,738
Dominican Republic
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Dominican Republic to Illinois.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Dominican Republic performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Illinois performs significantly 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
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Illinois performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Santo Domingo | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Santo Domingo | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) |
Data:
Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Dominican Republic and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Dominican Republic passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Dominican Republic
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than Dominican Republic?
No — Illinois is on average about 65% more expensive than Dominican Republic. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $30,978 in Illinois on a DOP4,399,196 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
Usually fine from major cities in Illinois. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Dominican Republic?
Dominican Republic performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Dominican Republic?
The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 87°F in Santo Domingo. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Santo Domingo gets 57.0 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In Dominican Republic, the official language is Spanish.
