How much it costs to keep a home in the Dominican Republic and how much it strains wages

A basic supermarket run in the DR equals between 16% and 28.5% of a monthly salary, based on a price survey of store-brand goods.

Keeping a home in the Dominican Republic means splitting income among food, housing, electricity and transportation. For many workers, a monthly salary barely covers the basic needs of the whole family.

According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD), the national average family basket reached RD$ 49,966.37 in September 2026. That is an increase of RD$ 1,232.09, or 2.53%, since January, when it stood at RD$ 48,734.28.

The basket exceeds the minimum wage for large companies, set at RD$ 29,988, by RD$ 19,978.37. It is also above the average contributory wage of RD$ 38,552 recorded by the Social Security Treasury (TSS) in August, by RD$ 11,414.37.

In an example of a basic purchase of food, hygiene and cleaning products, using mostly supermarket store brands, the total was RD$ 4,849.90. The list includes rice, chicken, beef, eggs, bread, cheese, beans, oil, milk, diapers and cleaning products. The actual cost will depend on household size and how long the products last.

In that example, the purchase equals between 16% and 28.5% of a monthly salary, depending on the type of employer. The minimum wage for medium-sized companies is RD$ 27,489.60; for small companies, RD$ 18,421.20; and for microenterprises, RD$ 16,993.20.

Rent also takes a large share of the budget. A survey of five prices in Greater Santo Domingo produced amounts of RD$ 10,000, RD$ 14,000, RD$ 16,000, RD$ 25,000 and RD$ 28,000, for an average of RD$ 18,600, equivalent to 62% of the large-company minimum wage.