Puerto Plata at a glance
- Puerto Plata is the cheapest of Dominican Republic's 3 priced cities: $707 a month in essentials, 18% below Santo Domingo at $858.
- 103.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at province level.
- PM2.5 averages 9.2 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 4 Dominican Republic cities we track, so every row says whether Puerto Plata is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $707 | $723 | $16 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $300 | $324 | $24 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $429 | $692 | 1.61× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $84 | $104 | $20 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $148 | $212 | 1.43× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $134 | $124 | $10 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $41 | $31 | 1.32× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $558 | $584 | $26 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,030 | $1,248 | $218 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Puerto Plata, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $6.01 | $9.43 | 1.57× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $38.61 | $47.14 | $8.53 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $7.21 | $7.55 | $0.34 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.29 | $2.16 | 1.67× as much |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.57 | $2.57 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.43 | $4.25 | $0.81 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.51 | $0.95 | 1.87× as much |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.70 | $0.68 | $0.02 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.29 | $1.35 | $0.06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.58 | $1.58 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.69 | $1.14 | 1.65× as much |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.44 | $1.79 | $0.35 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $4.46 | $7.01 | 1.57× as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $4.03 | $4.89 | $0.86 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.37 | $3.27 | 2.39× as much |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.69 | $0.84 | $0.15 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.69 | $1.61 | 2.33× as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.69 | $1.94 | 2.81× as much |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.86 | $2.28 | 2.65× as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.01 | $1.01 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.03 | $0.60 | 1.72× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi start | $3.43 | $3.43 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $2.32 | $2.32 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.22 | $1.35 | $0.14 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $95.98 | $86.46 | $9.52 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $38.10 | $37.07 | $1.03 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $17.16 | $27.57 | 1.61× as much |
Leisure
| Cinema, one seat | $7.72 | $7.71 | $0.00 |
|---|
Dating-age sex ratio
Puerto Plata has 103.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (province level). That is the highest of the 8 Dominican Republic cities we track.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Puerto Plata ranks against every city we track
Puerto Plata sits ahead of 75% of the 553 cities we track on city-centre rent. On cost of living it is ahead of 73% of 542. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 29% of 562.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Puerto Plata sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/scubabix/, CC BY 2.0.
