Which place is cheaper, Santo Domingo or Rome?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Rome or Santo Domingo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Rome and Santo Domingo can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Rome or Santo Domingo?
Rome
Rome is the capital and largest city in Italy. It is also a common entry point for most visitors flying into the country. Rome has been a center of power, culture, and religion for the last millenium, making it one of the most famous and popular destinations in not only Europe, but the world. The influence of the Roman Empire can be seen across continents.
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, is a vibrant city that seamlessly blends history, culture, and modernity. Known for being the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas, Santo Domingo offers a wealth of experiences that cater to every type of traveler.
Traveling to Santo Domingo on a budget is entirely achievable with some strategic planning. Accommodations range from luxury hotels to budget-friendly hostels and guesthouses. The Zona Colonial, the historic district, offers several affordable lodging options that provide easy access to major attractions. Hostels offer comfortable accommodations and a chance to meet fellow travelers, too. Eating on a budget is also feasible in Santo Domingo. Local eateries, known as "comedores," serve traditional Dominican dishes at reasonable prices.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Italy, The Best Budget Tours to Italy, The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, and The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic.
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Rome Prices
Italy PricesSanto Domingo Prices
Dominican Republic Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRome €207Santo Domingo €90
The average daily cost (per person) in Rome is €207, while the average daily cost in Santo Domingo is €90. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Rome and Santo Domingo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRome €90Santo Domingo €36
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRome €180Santo Domingo €72
Compare Hotels in Rome and Santo Domingo
Looking for a hotel in Rome or Santo Domingo? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Rome Hotel Prices and Santo Domingo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Rome €21Santo Domingo €4.16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rome
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rome:
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Metro Ride (for Two)€2.00
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Train to the Airport€15
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Taxi to Airport€45
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Bicycle Rental (Full Day)€10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rome
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rome:
- Transfer Ciampino Airport - Rome City Center Shuttle Bus: $7.10
- Transfer Fiumicino Airport - Rome City Centre: $8.29
- Transfer Rome center - Fiumicino airport: $8.29
- Bus Transfer from Rome to Milan or Vice Versa: $9.42
- Transfer Fiumicino Airport from/to Vaticano shuttle bus: $9.47
- Rome from Civitavecchia Transfer with Optional Open Bus: $30
- Transfer from Civitavecchia by train with Rome HopOnHopOff Option: $31
- Rome Private Transfer with Authentic Italian Breakfast: $43
- Ciampino Transfer: $44
- Luxury Private Transfer Rome Center to Fiumicino Airport: $47
- Ciampino to Rome transfer: $49
- Fiumicino Airport Rome (FCO) to Rome - Arrival Private Transfer: $50
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santo Domingo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santo Domingo:
- “Private Airport Transfer from Santo Domingo (SDQ)”: $52
- Cibao International Airport (STI) to Santo Domingo - Arrival Private Transfer: $95
- Dominican Republic: Premium Private Transfer to Airports (SDQ PUJ STI LRM): $63
- La Romana Airport (LRM) to Santo Domingo hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $63
- Las Américas Airport Private Transfer to Punta Cana: $107
- Las Galeras / Samana to Santo Domingo Airport (SDQ) - Departure Private Transfer: $39
- Private Arrival Transfer: Santo Domingo International Airport to Hotels (8 - 11): $244
- Private Transfer SDQ Airport → Santo Domingo | Safe & On-Time: $45
- Private Transfer Santo Domingo Airport SDQ to Santo Domingo Port: $54
- Private Transfer Santo Domingo SDQ to Samana/Miches/Terrenas: $239
- Private Transfer between Santo Domingo Airport and Punta Cana: $155
- Private Transfer from Iberostar Bavaro to SDQ: $160
Is it cheaper to fly into Rome or Santo Domingo?
Prices for flights to both Santo Domingo and Rome change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayRome €84Santo Domingo €48
Typical Food Prices in Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rome:
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Casual Lunch (for Two)€14
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4 Ice Cream Sandwiches€2.99
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Cafe e doce€4.00
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Pizza (Fast Food)€2.65
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Sitdown Lunch (for Two)€32
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Cheese and bread€10
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Espresso€2.00
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Dinner€58
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rome
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rome.
- Pizzas and Piazzas: A Self-Guided Walk of Rome’s Culinary Culture: $20
- Rome Food Tour for Breakfast Lovers: $41
- Milan Street Food Tour and City Guided Sightseeing: $45
- Pasta and Tiramisu Cooking Class with Prosecco in Rome: $46
- Rome Pizza Making Class for Families in Trastevere: $46
- Pizza & Tiramisu or Gelato Class with Flowing Fine Wine: $46
- Rome Early Morning Breakfast and Sightseeing Food Tour: $46
- Rome Street Food Tour: Eat Like a Local: $51
- Pesto and Pasta Cooking Class in Rome City Center: $51
- Rome Street Food Tour Eat Like a Local: $52
- Rome Food Tour with Local Guide & City Highlights: $53
- Rome Street Food Tour With a Local Guide Including Pizza, Ice-Cream & Much More!: $53
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santo Domingo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santo Domingo.
- Cooking Class in Santo Domingo:6 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $42
- Food Tour & Paradise Beach Day with Drinks: $140
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Rome €36Santo Domingo €13
Typical Entertainment Prices in Rome
Here are a few typical costs in Rome for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Rome Museum Vaticano (for 2)€69
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Coliseum Tickets (for Two)€33
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Roma Pass€30
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Hop on Hop Off Bus (All Day)€20
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Segway Tour€75
Tours and Activities in Rome
Here are a few actual costs in Rome for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Self-Guided Tours in Rome with 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.54
- Colosseum and Roman Forum Sightseeing Area Night Walking Tour: $3.79
- Ancient City Walking Tour at Twilight: $4.14
- Piazza del Popolo and Historical Sights Walking Tour in Rome: $4.14
- Hidden Treasures — A Self-Guided Walking Tour: $4.72
- Experience Rome Trevi Fountain with Ticket: $4.73
- Ghosts Legends and Mysteries of Rome Walking Tour: $4.73
- Audio guided tour of the historic center of Rome: $4.73
- Tour of Rome to Visit the Most Iconic Monuments: $5.00
- Rome Pantheon Entry Ticket: $5.92
- Pantheon Rome Timed Entry Ticket and optional Minerva: $5.92
- Rome Pantheon Entry Experience With Audio: $5.92
Typical Entertainment Prices in Santo Domingo
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Santo Domingo are as follows:
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Snorkeling Tour€38
Tours and Activities in Santo Domingo
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santo Domingo are as follows:
- Tour a las Mejores Playas del Caribe: $5.00
- The Battle of Santo Domingo 4D Experience: $5.00
- The Battle of Santo Domingo 4D Experience: $5.00
- Taínos 4D Experience Discover the Legacy of the Caribbean: $6.00
- Tainos 4D Experience in Santo Domingo's Colonial City: $6.00
- Colonial Zone Tour with tasting: $20
- Colonial Zone Walking Tour with Tastings: $20
- Ron Barcelo Anejo Experience Factory Tour: $20
- Chocolate Tour + Optional Workshops: $21
- Santo Domingo Tuk Tuk Experience: $25
- Colonial Experience Tour: $30
- Zona Colonial Hictorical Tour with a local artist: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRome €18Santo Domingo €6.85
Typical Alcohol Prices in Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Rome:
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Bottle of Wine€6.50
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Pint of Beer€6.34
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Beer€10
Sample the Local Flavors in Rome
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rome:
- Cabaret and Burlesque Show at Rome: $36
- Rome's Ultimate Party aka the Spanish Steps Pub Crawl: $40
- Winery Tour, Wine Tasting near Rome with Optional Lunch: $46
- Rome Premium Wine Tasting: 3, 4, 5 or 6 Wines with Expert Guide: $53
- Premium Wine Tasting Experience by the Vatican: $59
- Burlesque lessons with the best Italian stars: $59
- Frascati Old Town Wine Tasting Experience with Expert Sommelier: $62
- Trastevere and Jewish Ghetto Food and Wine Tour: $62
- Rome Night Tipsy Tour & Bar Crawl with Forbidden History: $70
- Trionfale Farmers Market and Vatican Quarter Food and Wine Tour: $82
- The greatest wine tour of Rome: $83
- Devour Rome Food & Wine Tour of Trastevere: $84
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Rome and Santo Domingo, we can see that Rome is more expensive. And not only is Santo Domingo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Rome is in Europe and Santo Domingo is in Caribbean Islands, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Santo Domingo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santo Domingo and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Rome would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rome than you might in Santo Domingo.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Rome Expensive? and Is Santo Domingo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Rome or Santo Domingo?
Rome has a larger population, and is about 16% larger than the population of Santo Domingo. When comparing the sizes of Rome and Santo Domingo, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.