Santo Domingo - Post Report Question and Answers
How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Little less than DC. - Jun 2024
Little lower than the US for local products. More expensive for imported items. - Sep 2023
Same as DC or lower for local products. - Oct 2021
Everything is available here. There is even a store like Costco called PriceSmart that has Kirkland brand goods. Produce is generally of a slightly lower quality than in the USA. If you buy at farmers markets or roadside stands, the quality is good. Lots of US brands are available, though they are often more expensive. Quality and variety of paper products is more limited than in the US. - Jan 2021
Groceries about 25% over US prices - Jul 2019
Supermarkets are plentiful and groceries will run approximately 25% higher than in the US (except local fruits). - Jan 2019
Everything is available here; U.S. packaged goods are more expensive. Local produce is cheap. European goods (Spanish in particular) are relatively cheap and available. - Nov 2016
Supermarkets are plentiful and groceries will run 25% higher than in the US (except local fruits). - Apr 2016
Availability is good, you will find a lot of familiar U.S. products at grocery stores like Nacional, Jumbo and Bravo, where everyone shops. Prices are about the same as in the U.S. but if you don't have to pay taxes that is a nice bonus. Produce selection is limited and lot of items are not fresh, it takes about a week for products to arrive from Miami, so keep that in mind. It's recommended to bleach things that you aren't going to cook, or use some kind of produce wash. - Jan 2016
Almost everything is available here. Because it is an island costs are 25% or more expensive although local produce, beans, rice, meats are same costs as in the States. - Jan 2016
Higher than the US..maybe 20% more depending on what you shop for. - Aug 2015
About 10% more than the U.S. for pantry items, significantly more for paper products and name brand cleaning supplies. - Aug 2015
You can get any American product but usually pay about 20% more. - Aug 2014
Groceries are about 20% more expensive but you can find most anything you want. - Jul 2013
You can buy most things at the major grocery stores, but U.S. products tend to cost quite a bit more than they would back home. - Apr 2013
You can find almost everything here, but it will cost much more than it would in the U.S. --- and it may or may not be in stock for long periods of time. - Apr 2013
US brands are more expensive. Local produce from markets costs less. - Jan 2013
If you get the diplomatic tax exemption, you might pay 25-30 percent more than in the U.S. Great selection of groceries, though. - Jun 2012
Many US-style supermarkets and most things are available. Sometimes at a little more than US prices, but the COLA covers it. There's also Pricemart, a Costco-esque place that is pretty good. - Jun 2012
Groceries are readily available at about a 15% premium. Imported goods are widely available, but definitely more expensive. Household staples tend to be in good supply at all times, but some of the specialty ingredients can be a bit dodgy. When I find rare ingredients in the store, I usually buy a 4-month supply, because you never know...Amazon and Netgrocer can supplement your grocery needs quite nicely. Fresh fruits and produce are abundant in the supermarkets, but you can get better prices at the open markets and on the side of the street. Sadly, it is almost impossible to find fresh asparagus. This is tragic. Meats vary wildly in quality, but there are 2 or 3 decent butchers in the city. Seafood is abundant (tropical island, et al.). - Mar 2012
Groceries are more expensive than in the US, unless you're buying rice or tropical fruit. It's an island, so almost everything has to be imported! - Feb 2012
very expensive more than we used to pay in US going to whole foods, and bad quality everything is in package and two or three fruits or veggies of the package are spoiled. - Feb 2012
Pricier than the US if you want us products. Rice is cheap. Some fruits also. But we spend a lot more in groseries than we did in the states - Oct 2011
You can get almost anything here. It can be funny to see what the stores decide to import. I've seen random lean cuisines, tofu, and artisan cheeses. However, you really have to check the expiration dates and don't be surprised if a dairy product has not been properly refrigerated. Things like oil, rice, and local products are cheap but expect Washington D.C. prices for many imported products. DR is random, I've even seen 7th Generation toilet bowl cleaner for sale here...it really depends on what the stores decide to import at any given time. - Jun 2011
Full disclosure: We don't buy boxed/frozen food so I can't comment on those prices. Fruit/veggies are cheaper than in the U.S. usally but more expensive than Guatemala, Peru, and Ecuador. (e.g. 1 avocado is $1). We buy at the grocery store on Sale day every week b/c it's cheaper than the market. Household supplies are more expensive here if you want to use the same brands as in the U.S. so I order lots from Walmart (free or 97 cents shipping straight to DPO) or Amazon. - May 2011
more expensive here since everything is imported - Nov 2010
Typical U.S. groceries are available, but normally cost about 25% more than in the U.S. - Aug 2010
You can buy pretty much anything you need here. The American products cost at least twice what you would pay in the States. They have a Price Mart here which is very similar to Costco....and a Ferreteria Americana, which is HUGE and is like a Home Depot but on a large scale. it has a food court, baby-items dept, pharmacy, full-scale furniture area with room displays -- somewhat like what Macy's would have and with very nice furniture.....and we recently got an IKEA. - Jun 2010
Very expensive. - May 2009
High, like the States when the economy was stronger. - Nov 2008
Groceries were expensive to begin with, and I"ve seen prices go up since being here while our COLA and differential have gone down. Can't explain why it has. - Oct 2008
Everything is available here, but is about 25% more expensive than the U.S. - Aug 2008
Higher than in Europe and the U.S. - Feb 2008
