Moving to Washington from Dominican Republic

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Dominican Republic to Washington? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Dominican Republic to Washington, you would find that Washington is 2.8 times more expensive than Dominican Republic overall. A DOP4,388,010 salary in Dominican Republic would need to be roughly $140,224 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Olympia averages 60°F vs 87°F in Santo Domingo, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Dominican Republic and Washington.

What does your salary buy?

DOP4,388,010 $140,224

To maintain the same standard of living in Washington

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.8 times more

Groceries

pay 2.1 times more

Transportation

pay 29.6% more

Housing

pay 3.2 times more

Childcare

pay 6.5 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.4 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 DOP = 0.0171 USD (August 2026)

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 Washington cost about 121% more than cities in Dominican Republic.

Dominican Republic

Santiago 25%

Washington

Seattle 84%
Bellevue 81%
Redmond 79%

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 Washington.

Moved in 2023
67,700 ↑ 72% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Washington compared to Dominican Republic.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

DO
27.6%
WA
31.1%

Dominican Republic performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

DO
85.0%
WA
93.1%

Washington performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

DO
5.6%
WA
5.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

DO
$23,100
WA
$87,768

Washington performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

DO
72.6 yrs
WA
79.2 yrs

Washington 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.

Santo Domingo Rain: 57.0 in/yr (1447 mm)
87° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

Olympia Rain: 50.0 in/yr (1270 mm)
60° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Santo Domingo Olympia
Jan–Mar 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) 50°/34°F (10°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) 65°/43°F (18°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) 76°/49°F (24°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) 51°/36°F (11°/2°C)
View all months
Month Santo Domingo Olympia
Jan 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C)
Feb 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C)
Mar 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C)
Apr 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C)
May 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C)
Jun 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C)
Jul 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C)
Aug 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C)
Sep 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C)
Oct 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C)
Nov 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C)
Dec 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C)

Data: Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá, National Weather Service 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

Dominican Republic passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Dominican Republic passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Dominican Republic

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Dominican Republic without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Washington than Dominican Republic?

On average Washington is around 87% pricier than Dominican Republic, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Washington?

Budget about $35,056 for 3 months in Washington (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 Washington?

From major Washington cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Dominican Republic and Washington are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in Washington compared to Dominican Republic?

Dominican Republic performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Washington compared to Dominican Republic?

The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 87°F in Santo Domingo. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Santo Domingo gets 57.0 in.

What language do they speak in Washington?

The official language in Washington is English. In Dominican Republic, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

DO
Population 10,694,700 6,724,540
Currency Dominican Peso (DOP) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Spanish English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 911 911