Moving to Dominican Republic from United Arab Emirates
What to Expect
Considering a move from United Arab Emirates to Dominican Republic? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from United Arab Emirates to Dominican Republic, you would find that Dominican Republic is 24.2% cheaper than United Arab Emirates overall. A AED275,438 salary in United Arab Emirates would need to be roughly DOP2,503,076 in Dominican Republic to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between United Arab Emirates and Dominican Republic.
What does your salary buy?
AED275,438 → DOP2,503,076
To maintain the same standard of living in Dominican Republic
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 6.8% less
Groceries
pay 0.4% more
Transportation
pay 31.7% more
Housing
pay 64.5% less
Childcare
pay 47.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 56.2% 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 38% less than cities in United Arab Emirates.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Dominican Republic compared to United Arab Emirates.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Arab Emirates 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
Dominican Republic generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates 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
United Arab Emirates 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
United Arab Emirates performs better than Dominican Republic across all employment & economy metrics.
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
United Arab Emirates generally does better on family life, though Dominican Republic leads in education spending.
Data: Ministry of Finance, 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 | Abu Dhabi | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) | 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) | 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) | 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) |
View all months
| Month | Abu Dhabi | Santo Domingo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) |
| Feb | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) | 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) |
| Mar | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) | 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) |
| Apr | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) | 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) |
| May | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) |
| Jun | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) | 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) |
| Jul | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) | 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) |
| Aug | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) |
| Sep | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) | 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) |
| Oct | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) | 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) |
| Nov | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) | 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) |
| Dec | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) | 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) |
Oficina Nacional de MeteorologiáVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Arab Emirates 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.
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Dominican Republic
Visa Free
Dominican Republic passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa Online (e-Visa)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 United Arab Emirates?
On average Dominican Republic is about 43% less expensive than United Arab Emirates, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Dominican Republic?
Budget about DOP625,769 for 3 months in Dominican Republic (based on a AED275,438 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?
United Arab Emirates performs better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Dominican Republic is 12.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in United Arab Emirates.
How is healthcare in Dominican Republic compared to United Arab Emirates?
Dominican Republic generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 22.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Dominican Republic, compared to 29.1 in United Arab Emirates. Dominican Republic scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United Arab Emirates: 82).
What's the weather like in Dominican Republic compared to United Arab Emirates?
The average high temperature in Santo Domingo is 87°F, compared to 93°F in Abu Dhabi. Santo Domingo receives around 57.0 in of rainfall per year, while Abu Dhabi gets 3.5 in.
What language do they speak in Dominican Republic?
The official language in Dominican Republic is Spanish. In United Arab Emirates, the official language is Arabic.
