Moving to Dominican Republic from Portugal
What to Expect
Considering a move from Portugal to Dominican Republic? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Portugal to Dominican Republic, you would find that Dominican Republic is 28.7% cheaper than Portugal overall. A €65,577 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly DOP2,919,565 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 69°F in Lisbon, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Portugal and Dominican Republic.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → DOP2,919,565
To maintain the same standard of living in Dominican Republic
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 46.0% less
Groceries
pay 15.3% less
Transportation
pay 4.6% less
Housing
pay 43.5% less
Childcare
pay 55.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.1% 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 34% less than cities in Portugal.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Portugal 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
- · · ·
-
42.110
Portugal
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Dominican Republic compared to Portugal.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal 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
Portugal 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
Portugal 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
Portugal 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
Portugal 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
Portugal performs better than Dominican Republic across all family life metrics.
Data: Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira, 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 | Lisbon | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal 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.
Portugal passport holder visiting Dominican Republic
Visa Free
Dominican Republic passport holder visiting Portugal
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 Portugal?
On average Dominican Republic is about 34% less expensive than Portugal, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Dominican Republic?
Budget about DOP729,891 for 3 months in Dominican Republic (based on a €65,577 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?
Portugal 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 Portugal.
How is healthcare in Dominican Republic compared to Portugal?
Portugal 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 57.7 in Portugal. Dominican Republic scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Dominican Republic compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Santo Domingo is 87°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Santo Domingo receives around 57.0 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Dominican Republic?
The official language in Dominican Republic is Spanish. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
