Healthy eating remains out of reach for many in Dominican Republic due to high costs

The cost of maintaining a healthy diet in the Dominican Republic is a significant financial burden, with many families struggling to afford nutritious foods. A low-income housewife preparing basic meals for herself and three children spends about 12,000 pesos monthly. However, transitioning to a diet rich in essential vitamins and proteins, as recommended by nutritionists Eva González and Katherine Reyes, would drastically increase this cost.

Nutritionists estimate that a single person might spend 10,000 pesos or less on a 100% healthy diet, while a family of three or four could face expenses of 25,000 pesos or more. These figures can fluctuate based on individual factors like age, activity level, and specific nutritional requirements. González suggests an adult woman with low food intake needs around 15,000 pesos monthly for a healthy diet, while men would require about 20,000 pesos.

This reality clashes with the purchasing power of many Dominicans. A 2025 report by international organizations including the FAO and WHO indicated that nearly 1.9 million people in the country could not afford a healthy diet. The cost of a healthy diet, measured in purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars, rose from $3.39 in 2017 to $5.60 in 2025, a substantial increase of 65.2%.

Basic food prices illustrate the challenge: 10 pounds of rice range from 331 to 460 pesos, beans cost between 65 and 127 pesos for smaller packages, and chicken is around 84 pesos per pound. Spaghetti costs 40-43 pesos per package, a chocolate bar is 117 pesos for 10 units, and water bread is 54-67 pesos for a 10-unit package. A carton of eggs varies from 153 to 280 pesos, while fish like cod, tilapia, and herring sell for 157 to 267 pesos per pound.