Moving to Iowa from Dominican Republic
What to Expect
Considering a move from Dominican Republic to Iowa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Dominican Republic to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 2.2 times more expensive than Dominican Republic overall. A DOP4,388,010 salary in Dominican Republic would need to be roughly $110,352 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Des Moines averages 60°F vs 87°F in Santo Domingo, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Dominican Republic and Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
DOP4,388,010 → $110,352
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.4 times more
Groceries
pay 75.4% more
Transportation
pay 9.0% less
Housing
pay 2.3 times more
Childcare
pay 4.6 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 Iowa cost about 63% more than cities in Dominican Republic.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Dominican Republic to Iowa.
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
The numbers behind daily life in Iowa compared to Dominican Republic.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Dominican Republic performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Iowa 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
Iowa performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Iowa 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 | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Santo Domingo | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°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 Iowa than Dominican Republic?
On average Iowa is around 47% pricier than Dominican Republic, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Budget about $27,588 for 3 months in Iowa (based on a DOP4,388,010 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Iowa?
From major Iowa cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Dominican Republic and Iowa are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Dominican Republic?
Dominican Republic performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Dominican Republic?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 87°F in Santo Domingo. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Santo Domingo gets 57.0 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In Dominican Republic, the official language is Spanish.
