Pesos and dollars
| Pesos | In US dollars | US dollars | In pesos |
|---|
At RD$61 to the dollar, divide a peso price by 60 for a quick estimate: RD$100 is about $1.60, RD$1,000 is about $16 and RD$5,000 is about $82. Restaurant and bar bills add the 18% ITBIS sales tax and a 10% service charge (propina legal, the legal tip), so a RD$1,000 menu total becomes RD$1,280 before any extra tip. Resorts, excursions and many tour desks quote in US dollars; colmados, taxis, buses and local restaurants work in pesos. When a card machine or ATM offers to charge you in dollars, choose pesos. Carry RD$50, RD$100 and RD$200 notes for small purchases and tips. See money, cards and tipping.
Temperature
| °C | °F | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|
| 0°C | 32°F | Freezing. Frost is possible at night on Pico Duarte and in Valle Nuevo above Constanza from December to February. |
| 7°C | 45°F | A cold winter night in Constanza, where lows can fall into the 40s°F (5–9°C). |
| 18°C | 64°F | A typical night in Jarabacoa, in the mountains. Bring a sweater. |
| 20°C | 68°F | A December evening at a winter-league game in Santiago. A light long-sleeve layer helps. |
| 24°C | 75°F | A spring-like day in Jarabacoa, where days mostly run in the 70s°F (21–26°C). |
| 26°C | 79°F | The sea in winter. A rash guard is all most snorkelers need. |
| 29°C | 84°F | The sea in late summer, and a winter day on the beach in Punta Cana. |
| 32°C | 90°F | A humid midday in Santo Domingo, where highs run 85–89°F (29–32°C) all year. |
| 38.5°C | 101.3°F | A fever, if a pharmacist or a doctor asks. |
| 180°C | 356°F | A moderate oven, if you're cooking in a villa or apartment. |
Dominican forecasts, pharmacy thermometers and car dashboards use Celsius. On the coast it is warm all year, with sea temperatures of about 79–84°F (26–29°C), so the bigger swings are rain and altitude: Jarabacoa and Constanza in the mountains are far cooler than the beaches, especially at night. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, with the highest risk from August to October. See when to go for the seasons by coast.
Distance, speed and weight
| Speed sign | In mph | Where you'll see it |
|---|---|---|
| 20–40 km/h | 12–25 mph | School zones and very busy streets |
| 40–60 km/h | 25–37 mph | Towns and city streets; mountain roads around Jarabacoa and Constanza |
| 60–80 km/h | 37–50 mph | Ordinary two-lane highways |
| 80–100 km/h | 50–62 mph | Autopistas (divided toll highways) |
| 120 km/h | 75 mph | The top limit on a few of the best highways, only where signed |
Distances and speed limits are metric: a sign reading 80 means 80 km/h, about 50 mph. To convert in your head, multiply kilometers by six and drop the last digit: 80 km is about 48 miles (the exact figure is 49.7). Signs are inconsistent, so follow what is posted, and expect motorcycles and motoconchos (motorcycle taxis) on every side of you. See driving in the DR.
Different from home
The Dominican Republic mixes systems. Roads use kilometers and the weather uses Celsius, but fuel is sold by the US gallon, and at markets and colmados (corner stores) rice, beans and meat are often sold by the libra (pound). Airlines still weigh your bags in kilos, so the kilogram box above is mostly for the trip home.
Fuel prices by the gallon
The fuel price uses the rate from the currency converter above. Prices are per US gallon, so there is nothing to convert from liters.
| Fuel | Price per US gallon, week of October 24–30, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Gasolina regular (regular gasoline) | RD$317.50 (about $5.20) |
| Gasolina premium (premium gasoline) | RD$358.10 (about $5.87) |
| Gasoil regular (diesel) | RD$270.80 (about $4.44) |
| Gasoil óptimo (premium diesel) | RD$318.10 (about $5.21) |
| A full 12-gallon compact tank of regular | Around RD$3,800 (about $62) |
The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM) sets fuel prices every week, from Saturday to Friday, and publishes the new prices each Friday on micm.gob.do. An attendant pumps your gas. Rental cars almost always take regular gasoline; check the fuel cap or the contract before you say lleno (full). See driving in the DR.
Time zones and calling home
Uses today's offsets. The whole Dominican Republic keeps Atlantic Standard Time (GMT−4) all year, with no daylight saving, the same as Puerto Rico.
Watch out
The DR never changes its clocks, but the US does, so the gap to home moves twice a year. From the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November, Santo Domingo has the same time as New York. The rest of the year it is one hour ahead of New York. In 2026 US clocks fall back on November 1, so from then until March 14, 2027, Santo Domingo is 1 hour ahead of New York, 2 ahead of Chicago, 3 ahead of Denver and 4 ahead of Los Angeles. Hawaii doesn't change its clocks either, so Honolulu stays 6 hours behind all year. Check excursion pickups and flight times around those dates.
The Dominican Republic is part of the same +1 phone system as the US, with area codes 809, 829 and 849. To call a US number from the DR, dial 1, the area code and the number, just as at home; to reach a Dominican number from the US, dial 1 and the ten digits. It looks like a domestic call but is billed as international, so check your plan before you dial, and ignore missed calls from unknown 809 numbers. The emergency number is 911, which covers most of the country, including the tourist areas. Save POLITUR, the tourist police, at 809-200-3500 and the US Embassy in Santo Domingo at 809-567-7775. US carrier plans and eSIMs are covered in phones, plugs and apps.
Plugs and voltage
Nothing to convert here. The Dominican Republic uses the same plugs as the US, Type A (two flat pins) and Type B (two flat pins plus a round ground pin), at 110–120 volts, so your chargers, hair dryer and curling iron work without an adapter or converter. Some older buildings and small hotels have only two-slot outlets, so a cheap three-to-two-prong adapter from a US hardware store can help with a laptop charger. More in phones, plugs and apps.
Dates, prices and signs
| You'll see | It means |
|---|---|
| 07/04/2027 | April 7, 2027. Dominicans write the day first, so 07/04 is never July 4. Check dates on tickets and bookings. |
| RD$500 | Five hundred Dominican pesos, about $8. |
| US$89 or USD 89 | Eighty-nine US dollars, the usual way resorts and excursion desks write prices. |
| $500 on a local menu | Usually pesos. Outside resorts and tour desks, a plain $ sign normally means pesos; ask if you are unsure. |
| ITBIS | The 18% sales tax added to restaurant and bar bills and many purchases. |
| 10% ley or propina legal | The 10% legal service charge on restaurant bills, pooled among staff. A cash tip on top is for your server. |
| Impuestos incluidos | Taxes included. Most menus do not include them. |
| Galón, libra, km | Gallon (fuel), pound (food at markets), kilometer (roads). |
| e-Ticket QR code | The code you get from the free government form at eticket.migracion.gob.do, scanned when you arrive and leave. See entry rules. |