Moving to Dominican Republic from Panama
What to Expect
Considering a move from Panama to Dominican Republic? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Panama to Dominican Republic, you would find that Dominican Republic is 22.0% cheaper than Panama overall. A PAB75,000 salary in Panama would need to be roughly DOP3,550,000 in Dominican Republic to maintain the same lifestyle.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Panama and Dominican Republic.
What does your salary buy?
PAB75,000 → DOP3,550,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Dominican Republic
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 18.4% less
Groceries
pay 29.0% less
Transportation
pay 3.0% more
Housing
pay 28.6% less
Childcare
pay 46.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.0% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Panama 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
- · · ·
-
17.789
Panama
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Dominican Republic compared to Panama.
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 Panama 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 Panama leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Panama performs better than Dominican Republic 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
Panama 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
Panama generally does better on employment & economy, though Dominican Republic 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
Panama generally does better on family life, though Dominican Republic leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2016–2022), World Health Organization (2024), General Directorate of Revenues, Panama (2016), Direccion General de Impuestos Internos (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Panama City | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 94°/65°F (34°/18°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 94°/69°F (35°/21°C) | 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 92°/70°F (34°/21°C) | 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 91°/68°F (33°/20°C) | 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) |
View all months
| Month | Panama City | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 92°/65°F (33.4°/18.5°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) |
| Feb | 94°/65°F (34.2°/18.4°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) |
| Mar | 95°/65°F (34.8°/18.4°C) | 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) |
| Apr | 96°/67°F (35.4°/19.5°C) | 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) |
| May | 94°/70°F (34.5°/21.1°C) | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) |
| Jun | 93°/70°F (33.8°/21.3°C) | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) |
| Jul | 93°/70°F (33.9°/21.0°C) | 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) |
| Aug | 93°/70°F (33.9°/20.9°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) |
| Sep | 91°/70°F (32.9°/21.0°C) | 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) |
| Oct | 91°/69°F (32.6°/20.8°C) | 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) |
| Nov | 91°/69°F (32.9°/20.3°C) | 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) |
| Dec | 92°/67°F (33.3°/19.2°C) | 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) |
Data:
IMHPA - Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá,
Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Panama 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.
Panama passport holder visiting Dominican Republic
Visa Free
Dominican Republic passport holder visiting Panama
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 Panama?
On average Dominican Republic is about 22% less expensive than Panama, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Dominican Republic?
Budget about DOP887,500 for 3 months in Dominican Republic (based on a PAB75,000 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: 11.2 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 Panama leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Dominican Republic is 10.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 11.7 in Panama. About 40% of people in Dominican Republic feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Dominican Republic compared to Panama?
Dominican Republic generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Panama leads in health coverage index. There are 24.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Dominican Republic, compared to 16.2 in Panama. Dominican Republic scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Panama: 78).
What's the weather like in Dominican Republic compared to Panama?
The average high temperature in Santo Domingo is 87°F, compared to 93°F in Panama City. Santo Domingo receives around 57.0 in of rainfall per year, while Panama City gets 75.1 in.
What language do they speak in Dominican Republic?
Both Panama and Dominican Republic share the same official language: Spanish.
