Cost of Living: New York vs Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo)
How expensive is the Dominican Republic compared with New York City? The national price level of everyday spending versus the New York metro area, and the salary — in US dollars and DOP — that buys the same standard of living.
Salary converter
Before taxes. Income tax, sales tax and benefits differ a lot between places and aren’t included.
The numbers
- Cities
- Santo Domingo
- Price level vs US average
- 38.4 (New York metro: 112.6)
- Exchange rate (2025 avg.)
- 1 USD = 62.0 DOP
- Purchasing-power parity
- 1 USD of US-average spending ≈ 23.8 DOP
- Source
- World Bank, PPP conversion factor for private consumption ÷ exchange rate (2025); New York: BEA 2024
⚠️ This is the Dominican Republic’s national average. Major cities — especially Santo Domingo — are usually more expensive, mostly because of rent, so treat this as a lower bound for big-city living.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Dominican Republic cheaper than New York?
Yes. The Dominican Republic is 66% cheaper than the New York metro area overall (index 34, New York = 100).
What salary in the Dominican Republic equals $100,000 in New York?
About $34,122 a year (about DOP 2,115,124 at purchasing-power parity) buys the same standard of living in the Dominican Republic as $100,000 in the New York metro area, before taxes.
Is Santo Domingo more expensive than the Dominican Republic’s national average?
Usually, yes. The comparison here uses the Dominican Republic’s national average price level; large cities such as Santo Domingo typically cost more than the national figure, especially for rent.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank price levels of household consumption for 2025 (purchasing power parity conversion factor divided by the market exchange rate), compared with BEA’s 2024 figure for the New York metro area.