Moving to Dominican Republic from Mexico
What to Expect
Considering a move from Mexico to Dominican Republic? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Mexico to Dominican Republic, you would find that Dominican Republic is 11.6% cheaper than Mexico overall. A MX$1,315,545 salary in Mexico would need to be roughly DOP3,849,904 in Dominican Republic to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Santo Domingo averages 87°F vs 74°F in Mexico City, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Mexico and Dominican Republic.
What does your salary buy?
MX$1,315,545 → DOP3,849,904
To maintain the same standard of living in Dominican Republic
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 31.4% less
Groceries
pay 21.9% less
Transportation
pay 5.4% more
Housing
pay 6.6% less
Childcare
pay 10.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.9% 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 21% less than cities in Mexico.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Mexico to Dominican Republic.
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
- · · ·
-
12.1,563
Mexico
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Dominican Republic compared to Mexico.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Dominican Republic generally does better on safety, though Mexico leads in road traffic deaths.
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 Mexico 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
Dominican Republic performs significantly better than Mexico 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
Mexico generally does better on infrastructure, though Dominican Republic leads in water stress level.
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
Dominican Republic generally does better on employment & economy, though Mexico 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
Dominican Republic generally does better on family life, though Mexico leads in infant mortality.
Data: Servicio de Administración Tributaria, SHCP, 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 | Mexico City | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 74°/45°F (23°/7°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/53°F (26°/12°C) | 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) |
View all months
| Month | Mexico City | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/42°F (21.2°/5.8°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) |
| Feb | 73°/45°F (22.9°/7.1°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) |
| Mar | 78°/49°F (25.7°/9.2°C) | 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) |
| Apr | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.8°C) | 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) |
| May | 80°/53°F (26.5°/11.7°C) | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) |
| Jun | 76°/54°F (24.6°/12.2°C) | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) |
| Jul | 73°/53°F (23.0°/11.5°C) | 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) |
| Aug | 74°/53°F (23.3°/11.6°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) |
| Sep | 72°/53°F (22.3°/11.5°C) | 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) |
| Oct | 72°/50°F (22.2°/9.8°C) | 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) |
| Nov | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) | 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) |
| Dec | 69°/44°F (20.8°/6.6°C) | 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) |
Data:
Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional,
Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Mexico 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.
Mexico passport holder visiting Dominican Republic
Visa Free
Dominican Republic passport holder visiting Mexico
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 Mexico?
On average Dominican Republic is about 12% less expensive than Mexico, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Dominican Republic?
Budget about DOP962,476 for 3 months in Dominican Republic (based on a MX$1,315,545 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: 10.7 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?
Dominican Republic generally does better on safety, though Mexico leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Dominican Republic is 12.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 26.1 in Mexico. About 40% of people in Dominican Republic feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Dominican Republic compared to Mexico?
Dominican Republic generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mexico leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 22.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Dominican Republic, compared to 25.6 in Mexico. Dominican Republic scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Mexico: 75).
What's the weather like in Dominican Republic compared to Mexico?
The average high temperature in Santo Domingo is 87°F, compared to 74°F in Mexico City. Santo Domingo receives around 57.0 in of rainfall per year, while Mexico City gets 32.1 in.
What language do they speak in Dominican Republic?
Both Mexico and Dominican Republic share the same official language: Spanish.
