Moving to Dominican Republic from Netherlands

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Netherlands to Dominican Republic — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Netherlands to Dominican Republic, you would find that Dominican Republic is 51.1% cheaper than Netherlands overall. A €65,577 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly DOP2,132,585 in Dominican Republic to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Santo Domingo averages 87°F vs 56°F in Amsterdam, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Netherlands to Dominican Republic.

What does your salary buy?

€65,577 DOP2,132,585

To maintain the same standard of living in Dominican Republic

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 68.0% less

Groceries

pay 31.6% less

Transportation

pay 41.5% less

Housing

pay 61.9% less

Childcare

pay 70.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 56.0% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 66.95 DOP (July 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 Dominican Republic cost about 51% less than cities in Netherlands.

Netherlands

Rotterdam 72%
Eindhoven 67%
Zwolle 62%

Dominican Republic

Santiago 25%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Netherlands to Dominican Republic, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
617 ↑ 4% vs 2015

people born in Netherlands live in Dominican Republic · UN DESA

Who's moving to Dominican Republic?

Top countries of origin for Dominican Republic's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Netherlands and Dominican Republic stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

NL
0.8
DO
12.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NL
3.4
DO
27.4

Netherlands performs better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

NL
$8,195
DO
$1,169
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

NL
39.1
DO
22.3

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Dominican Republic leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

NL
13.0
DO
27.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NL
6.6t
DO
3.0t

Netherlands generally does better on environment, though Dominican Republic leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NL
44.4
DO
10.7
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NL
16.1%
DO
39.5%

Netherlands performs better than Dominican Republic across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

NL
3.6%
DO
5.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

NL
$69,300
DO
$23,100

Netherlands generally does better on employment & economy, though Dominican Republic leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

NL
82.2 yrs
DO
72.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NL
3.4
DO
21.2

Netherlands performs better than Dominican Republic across all family life metrics.

Data: Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Amsterdam Rain: 30.7 in/yr (780 mm)
56° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Amsterdam Santo Domingo
Jan–Mar 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) 85°/67°F (29°/20°C)
Apr–Jun 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) 87°/72°F (30°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) 89°/73°F (31°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) 87°/71°F (30°/21°C)
View all months
Month Amsterdam Santo Domingo
Jan 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C)
Feb 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C)
Mar 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C)
Apr 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C)
May 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C)
Jun 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C)
Aug 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C)
Sep 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C)
Oct 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C)
Nov 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C)
Dec 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C)

Data: Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Netherlands 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.

Netherlands passport

Netherlands passport holder visiting Dominican Republic

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

Dominican Republic passport holder visiting Netherlands

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

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 Dominican Republic than Netherlands?

Generally yes: Dominican Republic runs about 51% cheaper than Netherlands 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 €65,577 comparable salary, that's around DOP533,146 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 Netherlands and Dominican Republic.

Is Dominican Republic safe for expats?

Netherlands performs better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Dominican Republic is 12.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Netherlands.

How is healthcare in Dominican Republic compared to Netherlands?

Netherlands 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 39.1 in Netherlands. Dominican Republic scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Netherlands: 85).

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

The average high temperature in Santo Domingo is 87°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Santo Domingo receives around 57.0 in of rainfall per year, while Amsterdam gets 30.7 in.

What language do they speak in Dominican Republic?

The official language in Dominican Republic is Spanish. In Netherlands, the official language is Dutch.

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At a Glance

NL DO
Population 17,400,824 10,694,700
Currency Euro (€) Dominican Peso (DOP)
Languages Dutch Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +31 +1
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 911