Cost of Living in Cabarete: What Does It Really Cost to Live Here?

Cost of Living in Cabarete, Dominican Republic: Real Monthly Budget

If you're thinking about moving to Cabarete, one of the first questions you'll probably ask is: “How much does it actually cost to live here?”

The honest answer is: it depends.

You can live relatively simply and spend much less, or you can have a very comfortable international lifestyle with a nice apartment, restaurants, a car, fitness, activities and weekend trips.

After living here for five years and working in real estate, rentals and property management, I've seen quite a few different lifestyles.

So instead of simply telling you that “the Dominican Republic is cheap,” here's how I would actually think about the cost of living in Cabarete.

A note before we talk numbers

The numbers in this guide are not official cost-of-living statistics.

They're based on my personal experience living in Cabarete, what I see through my work in real estate, rentals and property management, conversations with people who live here, and the prices I regularly come across.

They're also specifically meant as a reference for someone moving to Cabarete from abroad and living in the more popular, touristic areas.

Your actual cost can be much lower or higher depending on where you live and how you choose to spend your money.

Someone living very locally, sharing housing or living farther outside the tourist areas will have a very different budget from someone renting a beachfront condo and eating at nice restaurants several times a week.

Think of these numbers as a realistic starting point… not a fixed price list.

So, how much do you need to live in Cabarete?

For one person, this is roughly how I would divide the different lifestyles.
These ranges assume you are renting. If you own your property, your monthly budget can be significantly different.

$1,200–$1,600 ➝ Low-maintenance lifestyle

You keep things quite simple:

• Modest apartment
• Mostly cooking at home
• Local groceries
• Limited eating out
• Walking or using a scooter
• Few paid activities
• Careful electricity use

It's possible to live on less, but you'll need to be more conscious about your spending.

$1,800–$2,500 ➝ Comfortable lifestyle

This is the range I would consider a comfortable Cabarete lifestyle for one person.

You could have:

• A nice apartment
• Regular dinners and coffees out
• A car or easy transportation
• Gym, padel or other activities
• Good groceries
• Regular beach days
• Weekend activities and occasional trips

You're still aware of your spending, but you don't have to think about every single purchase.

$3,000–$4,500+ ➝ High / very comfortable lifestyle

This is where you have considerably more flexibility:

• Nicer condo or villa
• Frequent restaurants and drinks
• More AC
• Car and maintenance
• Wellness and fitness
• Imported groceries
• Activities and entertainment
• Weekend trips around the island
• Less concern about individual expenses

And of course, you can spend considerably more if you choose luxury properties, high-end restaurants and frequent travel.

Monthly budget: single vs. couple

If you're moving to Cabarete as a couple, your total budget doesn't necessarily need to be twice the individual amount.

Many of your biggest expenses are shared, including rent, electricity, internet, a car and household costs.

Low-maintenance

Single ➝ $1,200–$1,600

Couple ➝ $1,800–$2,300

Comfortable

Single ➝ $1,800–$2,500

Couple ➝ $2,500–$3,500

High / very comfortable

Single ➝ $3,000–$4,500+

Couple ➝ $4,000–$6,000+

These are rough estimates for someone coming from abroad and living in the more touristic areas of Cabarete.

The biggest advantage of being a couple is that many fixed costs are shared. That's why I prefer looking at the total household budget rather than simply multiplying the individual number by two.

Housing

For most people moving to Cabarete, housing will be the biggest variable in the budget.

You can find more affordable apartments farther from the beach and center, while beachfront condos and newer developments can be significantly more expensive.

Your location also affects your lifestyle.

If you're living in Cabarete Bay, you might be able to walk almost everywhere and spend less on transportation, but more on rent if you want something closer to the beach.

If you're living in a villa or gated community farther outside the center, you'll probably want a car, but save more on rent for the most part.

So don't only compare rental prices.

Think about what the location will save you in transportation and what kind of life it gives you.

Utilities

I've already gone into much more detail about this in my article Living in Cabarete: Water, Electricity & Utilities Explained, but here's the short version.

For my own one-bedroom apartment, I spend roughly (no HOA included):

• Electricity: RD$2,000–3,000/month
• Internet: around RD$2,200/month
• Phone: around RD$1,800/month
• Drinking water: around $30/month
• Gas to cook: roughly $5/month

Electricity can vary a lot depending on the property, how much AC you use and how efficient the appliances are. This is one expense where your lifestyle makes a big difference.

Groceries

This is another area where your spending can vary dramatically. I usually shop at places like Janet's, La Sirena and Playero depending on what I need.

Local fruit, vegetables and other Dominican products can be very affordable. But imported products are a different story.

If you want to recreate your European or North American grocery list exactly, your grocery bill can get surprisingly high.

I personally think it's worth learning which products are local and seasonal and adjusting your shopping habits.

You don't have to give up everything you're used to, just don't expect imported products to have the same prices you're used to at home.

Eating out

Cabarete makes it very easy to spend money on food.

There are cafés for coffee and breakfast, casual restaurants for lunch, beachfront restaurants, international cuisine, bars and places to go out at night.

You can have a relatively inexpensive Dominican lunch, or you can sit down for a nice dinner with drinks and spend considerably more.

And because there are so many good restaurants here, this is one category where lifestyle can really change your monthly budget.

Personally, I enjoy going out, but I also cook at home regularly. That balance makes a big difference.

Transportation

I drive, but I also walk whenever I can. And when there is a tapón, a traffic jam, I'll sometimes use a motoconcho.

Your transportation costs will depend heavily on where you live. If you're in central Cabarete, you can walk to many of the places you need.

If you're living in Perla Marina, ProCab, Encuentro or farther outside town, having a car becomes much more useful. When budgeting for a car, don't forget:

• Gas
• Insurance
• Maintenance
• Tires
• Repairs
• Registration

Fitness, wellness & activities

One of the things I love about Cabarete is that you don't need to spend a lot of money to have things to do.

The beach is free. Walking is free. Swimming in the ocean is free. Sunset is free.

But there are plenty of paid activities if you want them. Personally, I spend money on things like:

• Gym / group workouts
• Padel
• Yoga
• Wellness
• Restaurants
• Workshops and activities

There are always new things happening around Cabarete.

You can spend very little on entertainment or make it a significant part of your monthly budget.

Personal care

This is another category where people coming from abroad often find some services more affordable than back home.

Hair, nails, massages and other personal services can be pricey.

But again, it depends on where you go and whether you're choosing local services or more upscale/international businesses.

Healthcare

Healthcare is another expense I would always budget for before moving here.

There are private healthcare options and insurance plans available, and companies such as Humano offer different coverage options. From experience they can vary from US$35 to over US$100 a month, per person.

If you're relocating, I would recommend researching insurance before you arrive rather than waiting until you need it.

Renting vs. owning in Cabarete

If you're renting:
Your biggest monthly expense is usually rent, but many maintenance costs are the owner's responsibility.

If you own:
You don't have rent, but you need to budget for:

• HOA
• Electricity
• Water
• Internet
• Property maintenance
• Pool/garden if applicable
• Insurance
• Repairs and occasional replacements
• Property management if you're not living here full-time
• Property tax / applicable taxes

One important distinction

“Owning” doesn't mean living for free.

A homeowner may have no monthly rent, but a $400,000 condo and a $180,000 apartment will have very different ownership costs.

Buying a property changes your monthly budget, but it doesn't eliminate housing costs.

Can you live in Cabarete for less than $1,000 a month?

Yes… but you’ll have to adapt to a few things and live on a budget. You could stay under $1,000 by:

• Renting a simple apartment in areas that are less expensive (Cabarete East, Callejón)
• Living farther from the most expensive beachfront areas
• Cooking most meals
• Buying mostly local products
• Walking or using public transportation
• Limiting AC use
• Going out less
• Keeping paid activities to a minimum

It's absolutely possible. But you'll be making more decisions based on your budget.

You know what surprises people about the cost of living here?
For me, the biggest misconception is: “Everything is cheap.”

It isn't.

Some things are incredibly affordable, while other things can cost the same as, or sometimes more than, what you're used to paying abroad.

The trick is learning how to live locally. Buy local products. Understand where to shop.

Don't import your entire lifestyle. And be realistic about the costs of the lifestyle you actually want.

My opinion

I don't live in Cabarete because I think it's the cheapest place in the Caribbean.

I live here because I like the life I can have here.

I can wake up, have a coffee, decide whether I want to work or exercise, walk to the beach, work from home or the office, meet friends for dinner, play padel, watch the sunset and still be home without spending a fortune every day.

But I also know that if I wanted a luxury beachfront apartment, ate out every day, drove everywhere, used AC constantly and traveled every weekend, my monthly expenses would look completely different.

Cabarete can fit different budgets. The important part is knowing which lifestyle you're actually budgeting for.

And if you're considering moving here, don't just ask: “How cheap is Cabarete?”
Ask: “What would my life here actually look like?”
That's the number that matters.