Moving to Dominican Republic from Japan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Japan to Dominican Republic — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Japan to Dominican Republic, you would find that Dominican Republic is 16.3% cheaper than Japan overall. A ¥12,124,875 salary in Japan would need to be roughly DOP3,740,712 in Dominican Republic to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Santo Domingo averages 87°F vs 69°F in Tokyo, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Japan to Dominican Republic.
What does your salary buy?
¥12,124,875 → DOP3,740,712
To maintain the same standard of living in Dominican Republic
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 1.0% more
Groceries
pay 34.5% less
Transportation
pay 9.6% less
Housing
pay 18.3% less
Childcare
pay 45.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 26.0% 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.
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 16% less than cities in Japan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Japan to Dominican Republic, and how the trend has changed.
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
- · · ·
-
27.359
Japan
Key Indicator Comparison
How Japan and Dominican Republic stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Japan 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
Japan 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
Japan generally does better on environment, though Dominican Republic leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Japan 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
Japan 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
Japan generally does better on family life, though Dominican Republic leads in education spending.
Data: National Tax Agency Japan, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tokyo | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) |
Data:
Japan Meteorological Agency,
Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan 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.
Japan passport holder visiting Dominican Republic
Visa Free
Dominican Republic passport holder visiting Japan
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 Dominican Republic than Japan?
Generally yes: Dominican Republic runs about 15% cheaper than Japan on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Dominican Republic?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ¥12,124,875 comparable salary, that's around DOP935,178 in Dominican Republic for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Dominican Republic?
With 10.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Dominican Republic can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Japan and Dominican Republic.
Is Dominican Republic safe for expats?
Japan performs better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Dominican Republic is 12.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan. About 40% of people in Dominican Republic feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Dominican Republic compared to Japan?
Japan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Dominican Republic leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 22.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Dominican Republic, compared to 26.1 in Japan. Dominican Republic scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in Dominican Republic compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Santo Domingo is 87°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Santo Domingo receives around 57.0 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in Dominican Republic?
The official language in Dominican Republic is Spanish. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
