Summary
In 2026, an apartment in Punta Cana asks a median of about $200,000, and a 2-bedroom about $240,000, or about RD$14.8 million (RE/MAX Metropolitana, August 2026). These are asking prices, not sale prices.
The average is higher, about $244,000, because Cap Cana pulls it up. Per m², apartments in Punta Cana-Bávaro ask about $2,278 (CLIC Inmobiliaria, June 2026, 12,854 listings).
No portal publishes a studio median. Studios and small 1-bedrooms in Bávaro and El Cortecito list for roughly $95,000 to $165,000, and off-plan units in Pueblo Bávaro ask a median of $96,000.
A finished 1-bedroom asks a median of $190,000 for 70 m², a finished 3-bedroom-plus $520,000 for 188 m² (Evalua, September 2026).
New is not dearer than finished on average: off-plan condos ask $2,621 per m² against $2,648 for finished ones. A "10% to 25% premium for new" doesn't show in the data.
All-in, a $240,000 2-bedroom costs about $251,000 to $256,000 with taxes and fees, and roughly $259,000 to $296,000 with a furniture package.
Foreign buyers who borrow usually put down 30% to 50%, or $72,000 to $120,000 on that unit, at dollar rates of about 9% to 11.4%.
By area, finished condos ask a median of $165,000 in Bávaro, $190,000 in Downtown Punta Cana, $249,000 in Cana Bay and $478,000 in Cap Cana (Evalua).
About 40% of the condos for sale are off-plan and Airbnb occupancy is only 36.4%, so buyers can negotiate. A 2-bedroom priced above about $257,000 earns less than 7% gross at the $1,500 median rent.
Taxes and fees add 4.5% to 6.5% of the price, or 1.5% to 3.5% on a valid Confotur first purchase. A loan adds a 2% mortgage registration tax in 2026.
Running costs: condo fees of $185 to $350 a month in the listings we checked, IPI of about $660 a year on a unit appraised at $240,000, and roughly $150 to $250 a month of utilities.
An average Airbnb doesn't pay for the apartment: about 1.9% net before tax for a 1-bedroom and 1.4% for a 2-bedroom, against about 3.7% to 4% on a long lease.
Sargassum hit a record in 2026, about 9 million tonnes in the region from January to June, so don't pay a beachfront premium without visiting in summer; hurricane season runs to 30 November.
Bottom line: budget about $190,000 for a normal finished 1-bedroom and $240,000 for a 2-bedroom, add 4.5% to 6.5% for costs, and aim for a price that still gives you 7% gross on a long lease.
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Message a proWhat does a studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom or 3-bedroom cost in Punta Cana in 2026?
What's the average and median apartment price?
The median apartment for sale in Punta Cana, Bávaro and Cap Cana asks about $200,000 (about RD$12.3 million), and the average about $244,000, or 22% more (RE/MAX Metropolitana, August 2026, 116 listings). A few Cap Cana units pull the average up, so the median is the number to use.
For a 2-bedroom, the most common unit, the median is about $240,000 (RE/MAX). Casanix gives about $260,000 across La Altagracia province (October 2026), a wider area that includes Cap Cana.
Per area, apartments in Punta Cana-Bávaro ask a median of about $2,278 per m² (about RD$140,000), or about $212 per sq ft (CLIC Inmobiliaria, June 2026, excluding Cap Cana). Evalua's count of finished condos, which includes Cap Cana, gives $2,648 per m², or $246 per sq ft (September 2026).
The normal range is wide. Outside Cap Cana, the middle half of finished 1-bedrooms asks $142,000 to $200,000, and the middle half of finished 2-bedrooms $165,000 to $313,000 (Evalua). Below that you are in inland or off-plan units; above it, in Cap Cana or the beachfront.
How much is a studio apartment?
Nobody publishes a studio median for Punta Cana: the portals group studios with 1-bedrooms. Studios and compact 1-bedrooms in Bávaro and El Cortecito list for roughly $95,000 to $165,000 (Cana Tours local guide, June 2026).
The cheapest small units are inland or off-plan: Pueblo Bávaro off-plan units ask a median of $96,000 (Evalua, September 2026). At Bávaro's median of $1,969 per m² for finished condos, a 45 m² studio comes to about $89,000; at Downtown Punta Cana's $2,298, about $103,000.
Studios near the beach in Los Corales or El Cortecito, or inside Cap Cana, cost much more, because buyers pay for the location and short-term rental demand. Most studios we saw were roughly 35 to 55 m².
How much is a one-bedroom apartment?
A finished 1-bedroom in Punta Cana and Bávaro asks a median of about $190,000 (about RD$11.7 million), for about 70 m², or $2,798 per m² (Evalua, September 2026, 203 listings). Off-plan 1-bedrooms ask less: about $168,000 for 64 m². RE/MAX's smaller sample gives $167,500.
Outside Cap Cana, the middle half of finished 1-bedrooms asks $142,000 to $200,000. In Downtown Punta Cana, Vista Cana and White Sands, 1-bedrooms list for roughly $115,000 to $190,000 (Cana Tours, June 2026).
In Cap Cana, a finished 1-bedroom asks a median of about $306,000 (Evalua). Small units cost more per m² than family apartments, so compare similar sizes before you call a unit cheap.
How much is a two-bedroom apartment?
A 2-bedroom in Punta Cana, Bávaro and Cap Cana asks a median of about $240,000 (about RD$14.8 million), according to RE/MAX Metropolitana (August 2026). Casanix gives $260,000 for the whole province.
Evalua's median for finished 2-bedrooms is higher, $290,000 for 114 m² ($2,532 per m²), because 86 of its listings are in Cap Cana. Outside Cap Cana, the middle half asks $165,000 to $313,000. Off-plan 2-bedrooms ask a median of $278,000.
At the top, a finished Cap Cana 2-bedroom asks a median of $473,000 (Evalua), and 2-bedrooms in Punta Cana Village list for roughly $250,000 to $420,000 (Cana Tours).
How much is a three-bedroom apartment?
A finished 3-bedroom-plus condo in Punta Cana asks a median of about $520,000 (about RD$32 million), for about 188 m², or $2,805 per m² (Evalua, September 2026, 163 listings). Off-plan, the median is $325,000.
Outside Cap Cana, the middle half of finished 3-bedrooms asks $229,000 to $520,000. RE/MAX's small sample even shows a median of $190,000, which tells you that cheaper 3-bedrooms exist inland but are few.
Big units are where the total climbs fast: at Cocotal's $2,675 per m², a 150 m² 3-bedroom is about $401,000. Luxury 3-bedrooms in Cap Cana and on the beachfront often pass $600,000 in the listings we saw.
What's the price gap between new and resale apartments?
On average, almost none. In Evalua's September 2026 count, off-plan condos asked $2,621 per m² and finished ones $2,648, so off-plan was about 1% cheaper. The old idea that new costs 10% to 25% more doesn't hold in Punta Cana right now.
It depends on the area. Off-plan asks more than finished in El Cortecito (about 12% more per m²) and Vista Cana (about 9%), and about 3% more in Downtown Punta Cana and Cap Cana. In Bávaro, where the most projects compete, off-plan asks about 5% less.
With off-plan you pay about the same, but you wait and you carry the delivery risk: there is no general legal escrow, and your protection depends on the project's fideicomiso (Law 189-11) and your contract. A fideicomiso is not a guarantee that the building gets finished.
Confotur changes the real cost more than the label "new": a valid first purchase in an approved project saves the 3% transfer tax ($7,200 on a $240,000 unit) and usually 15 years of IPI. Resales don't get it.
Can I afford to buy in Punta Cana in 2026?
What's the typical total budget (all-in) to buy an apartment?
For a normal $240,000 2-bedroom, taxes and fees of 4.5% to 6.5% add $10,800 to $15,600, so the purchase comes to about $251,000 to $256,000 (about RD$15.4 million to RD$15.7 million).
Most tourist condos also need furniture. Packages we saw ran roughly $8,000 to $40,000, which takes the all-in budget to roughly $259,000 to $296,000. Some new projects include furniture in the price: ask.
That budget covers the 3% transfer tax (unless Confotur applies), the lawyer, notary and registry fees and the furniture. If you borrow, add the 2% mortgage registration tax and the bank's fees.
What down payment is typical to buy?
Most foreign buyers in Punta Cana pay cash or use a developer payment plan. If you borrow as a non-resident, brokers report down payments of 30% to 50% and terms of 10 to 15 years. On a $240,000 apartment, that is $72,000 to $120,000 down, plus closing costs.
Rates are not cheap: the average dollar housing loan was 8.87% in June 2026 (Banco Central), and Banco BDI quotes 9.9% to 11.4% for ordinary dollar loans (May 2026). Old "6% to 7%" rates are gone. Banco Popular has a dollar product up to 70% of the value over 15 years, but non-residents are not guaranteed to get it.
The loan also costs a 2% registration tax in 2026 under Law 30-26 (1% in 2027, nothing from 2028). With 30% down, the $168,000 loan adds $3,360. If you can wait until 2028 to borrow, that tax disappears.
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Which neighborhoods are cheapest or priciest in Punta Cana in 2026?
How much does the price per m² for apartments vary by neighborhood?
Apartment prices in Punta Cana go from about $1,400 per m² in Verón (a model estimate) and $1,577 for off-plan units in Pueblo Bávaro to about $3,428 per m² for finished condos in Cap Cana (Evalua). CLIC gives $3,465 for Cap Cana, and RE/MAX's smaller sample $3,992.
The cheaper areas are inland and local: Verón, Pueblo Bávaro, Bávaro ($1,969 per m²) and Vista Cana ($2,232). The dearer ones are the golf, beach and gated communities: El Cortecito $2,476, Cana Bay $2,514, Punta Cana Village $2,548, Cocotal $2,675, Los Corales about $2,653 (model estimate) and Cap Cana.
Here is how finished condos compare by area (asking prices, September 2026):
| Area | Median asking price (finished condos) | Median price per m² | Off-plan price per m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pueblo Bávaro | $96,000 (off-plan only) | No finished median | $1,577 |
| Bávaro | $165,000 | $1,969 | $1,879 |
| Downtown Punta Cana | $190,000 | $2,298 | $2,363 |
| Vista Cana | $260,000 | $2,232 | $2,441 |
| El Cortecito | $201,000 | $2,476 | $2,768 |
| Cana Bay | $249,000 | $2,514 | No median |
| Punta Cana Village | $425,000 | $2,548 | No median |
| Cocotal | $315,000 | $2,675 | No median |
| Cap Cana | $478,000 | $3,428 | $3,522 |
What neighborhoods are best for first-time buyers on a budget?
The three easiest areas for a first apartment on a budget are Bávaro, Downtown Punta Cana and Vista Cana. Finished condos ask medians of $165,000 in Bávaro and $190,000 in Downtown, and off-plan units in Vista Cana about $159,000 (Evalua).
Bávaro has the most choice and the most rental demand, Downtown Punta Cana has the shops and daily services, and Vista Cana is a planned, gated community with newer buildings but you need a car.
If your budget is about $100,000, look at Pueblo Bávaro off-plan (median $96,000) or a compact unit in inland Bávaro. White Sands is another gated option, but we found no 2026 price median for it.
The trade-offs: inland Bávaro and Vista Cana have no beach on foot, there is a lot of construction around, and resale can be slow when dozens of similar projects compete. Check the exact street too: parts of Los Corales flooded again in January 2026.
Which neighborhoods have the fastest-rising apartment prices?
Nobody can tell you with a number: there is no price index for Punta Cana, and portals cover different units from one year to the next.
What the data does show is where developers price their new projects above finished resales: El Cortecito (about 12% more per m² off-plan), Vista Cana (about 9%), Downtown Punta Cana and Cap Cana (about 3%). That is the developers' bet, not a measured rise.
Demand is growing: Punta Cana's airport handled 6.38 million international passengers in January-June 2026, up 19.3% (Revista Mercado). But supply grew too, construction costs rose only 1.94% in a year (ONE, June 2026), and in Bávaro off-plan units already ask about 5% less than finished ones.
Is Punta Cana's condo glut giving apartment buyers room to negotiate in 2026?
Yes, especially on finished resales. About 40% of the condos Evalua tracked in September 2026 were off-plan (459 of 1,138), and RE/MAX counts more than 50 off-plan projects in its local sample. Each new building competes with the resales around it.
The rental market shows the same strain. Tourism is up, yet Airbnb occupancy stayed at about 36.4% from October 2025 to September 2026 (AirROI), because the number of units grew faster than guests.
A simple test: a long-term 1-bedroom asks a median of $1,150 a month and a 2-bedroom $1,500 (CLIC, March 2026). To earn 7% gross, you should pay no more than about $197,000 for a 1-bedroom and $257,000 for a 2-bedroom. Above that, you are paying for a view or a brand, not for income.
What to ask: how long the unit has been listed, what similar units in the same building sold for, whether the price includes furniture, and how many units in the project were bought by short-term renters. Nobody publishes the gap between asking and sale prices here, so negotiate on facts, not on a percentage.
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Taxes and fees on top of the price, before you sign.
Message a proWhat extra costs will I pay on top of the apartment price in Punta Cana in 2026?
What are all the buyer closing costs when you buy an apartment?
For a typical $240,000 apartment in Punta Cana (about RD$14.8 million), buyer closing costs are about $10,800 to $15,600 without Confotur, or about $3,600 to $8,400 with a valid Confotur first purchase.
The biggest item is the 3% transfer tax, on the higher of the price and the DGII appraisal: $7,200 on $240,000. Law 30-26 did not change it.
Then come the lawyer (usually 1% to 1.5% of the price, for title checks and the contract), the notary (RD$15,000 to RD$45,000, about $245 to $730, or 0.10% to 0.25%), and small registry fees such as the RD$1,000 cartulina and the title certification. If the unit still needs a deslinde (individual survey), add RD$18,000 to RD$60,000 (about $295 to $975) and 30 to 90 days.
The lawyer's fee is negotiable; taxes are not. The agent's 3% to 5% commission is usually paid by the seller.
On average, how much are buyer closing costs as a percentage of the purchase price for an apartment?
For a normal cash purchase in Punta Cana, budget about 4.5% to 6.5% of the price for closing costs in 2026.
With a valid Confotur first purchase in an approved project, it falls to about 1.5% to 3.5%, because the 3% transfer tax goes away. Check the project and your exact unit on MITUR's Confotur search before you count on it.
If you borrow, add the 2% mortgage registration tax on the loan amount in 2026 and the bank's appraisal and file fees. On a $168,000 loan, the tax alone is $3,360, about 1.4% of a $240,000 price.
What are the ongoing monthly and yearly costs of an apartment in Punta Cana in 2026?
What are typical HOA fees in Punta Cana right now?
There is no published median for condo fees in Punta Cana: each building sets its own budget. In 2026 listings, a 112 m² 2-bedroom in Bávaro charged $185 a month and a 152 m² 2-bedroom in Cana Bay $350 a month.
That is about $1.65 to $2.30 per m² a month. If your building charges like these, a 70 m² 1-bedroom would pay roughly $115 to $160 a month. Resort buildings with beach clubs, elevators, full generators and 24-hour security cost more.
Ask for the last 12 months of condo fee receipts, the building's budget, and whether electricity and generator fuel are billed separately. Check that the seller has no unpaid fees before you sign.
What utilities should I budget monthly in Punta Cana right now?
For a 1- or 2-bedroom apartment where someone lives full time, budget roughly $150 to $250 a month (about RD$9,200 to RD$15,400) for electricity, internet, water and gas. That is our estimate, not a published figure.
Electricity is the big item, because air conditioning runs most of the year. Much of Bávaro and Punta Cana is supplied by CEPM, a private grid, rather than the state distributors. National residential tariffs were frozen again in October 2026, but heavy users pay the higher blocks.
Blackouts still happen in the country, so check whether your building has a full generator and who pays its fuel. A rented unit uses more power: AirROI's own cost model sets utilities and internet at about 5% of booking revenue.
How much is property tax on apartments?
The IPI property tax is 1% a year on the combined DGII-appraised value of your Dominican property above RD$10,695,494 in 2026, about $173,900. Below that, you pay nothing.
If the DGII appraises your unit at its price: a $190,000 1-bedroom pays about $160 a year, a $240,000 2-bedroom about $660, and a $500,000 Cap Cana unit about $3,260. DGII appraisals are often below market price, so you may pay less.
A unit bought new in a project with a valid Confotur resolution is usually exempt for 15 years. Owning a second Dominican property adds its value to the same threshold.
What's the yearly building maintenance cost?
Most building maintenance is paid through the condo fees. At the $185 and $350 a month we saw, that is about $2,220 to $4,200 a year for a 2-bedroom, covering cleaning, pools, gardens, security, elevators and administration.
Inside the unit, salt air and humidity wear out A/C units, appliances and metal fittings fast. In our cost models we set aside about 1% of the price a year for repairs and insurance together: $2,400 on a $240,000 apartment.
Also ask whether the building has a reserve fund. Without one, a roof, a pool or a generator repair turns into a special charge on every owner.
How much does home insurance cost?
We found no published 2026 premiums for apartment insurance in Punta Cana, so we no longer give a precise figure. Premiums depend on the insured value, the hurricane and flood cover, the deductible and whether the unit is rented to tourists.
In our cost models, insurance sits inside the 1% of the price a year we set aside for insurance and repairs. Get a real quote before you buy, not after.
Check what the building's own policy already covers (usually the structure and common areas) and buy contents and liability cover for your unit. Banks require insurance if you borrow.
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Some buildings ban short stays. They know which ones.
Message a proCan Airbnb income pay for a Punta Cana apartment in 2026?
Not for an average unit. A 1-bedroom on Airbnb in Punta Cana averages RD$5,369 a night at 39% occupancy, and a 2-bedroom RD$7,182 at 36% (AirROI, October 2025 to September 2026).
Run full time, a $190,000 1-bedroom nets about 1.9% a year before income tax, and a $250,000 2-bedroom about 1.4%, once you pay Airbnb's 15.5% host-only fee, 20% management, utilities, condo fees, upkeep and IPI. The same 2-bedroom on a long lease at $1,500 a month nets about 3.7% before tax; a 1-bedroom at $1,150, about 4%.
As a non-resident, budget for Dominican income tax on that profit (the general rate for non-residents is 27%). Whether 18% ITBIS applies to an individual's Airbnb is not settled: check with an accountant.
The rules haven't tightened yet: MITUR's RENATUR registry draft, which would have forced every unit to register, was withdrawn on 20 July 2026 and moved to talks with the sector. The real rule is your building's: many condo bylaws limit short stays, so read the reglamento before you buy.
What should you check for sargassum, floods and hurricanes before buying an apartment in Punta Cana?
Sargassum hit a record in 2026: about 9 million tonnes accumulated in the region from January to June, against 8.3 million in 2025 (University of South Florida, via Dominican Today, 9 July 2026). The east coast, Bávaro and Punta Cana included, is the most exposed.
For an apartment, that matters mostly if you pay for the beachfront. Visit in summer, ask the building how often the beach is cleaned, and don't pay a beachfront premium for a beach you can't use for weeks.
Hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November. Ask for the building's insurance policy, check the windows and shutters, and ask where water went in the last heavy rains: parts of Los Corales flooded again on 5 January 2026.
Before you sign, also get the Certificado de Título and a certification from the Registro de Títulos (about RD$1,000), check for liens and unpaid condo fees, and avoid units with only a "constancia anotada".
Our methodology
This article estimates what an apartment costs in Punta Cana, Bávaro and Cap Cana in 2026: median prices by size, prices per m², new vs resale, prices by area, the all-in budget, down payments, closing costs, condo fees, utilities, IPI, upkeep and insurance, and what an apartment earns on Airbnb or a long lease.
Prices come from listing medians published by RE/MAX Metropolitana (August 2026), CLIC Inmobiliaria (June 2026), Evalua (September 2026) and Casanix (October 2026), plus a local listing guide from Cana Tours and Punta Cana Investment Intelligence's model for areas without listing data. These are asking prices, not sale prices. Rents come from CLIC, Airbnb figures from AirROI only, and mortgage rates from the Banco Central and Banco BDI.
Taxes and fees come from the DGII (transfer tax, IPI), the text of Law 30-26 (mortgage tax), the MITUR Confotur search and a 2026 closing-cost guide from 1122 Real Estate. Condo fees come from two real listings.
We checked these figures in October 2026. Conversions use about 61.5 Dominican pesos per US dollar.
Where we had no direct figure, we estimated it and said so: studio prices are listing ranges, sizes and prices per area are our calculations, utilities, furniture and the 1% upkeep and insurance allowance are rough estimates, and net yields use our standard cost assumptions before income tax. Your own costs will depend on the exact unit, the building, the appraisal, your lawyer and how well you negotiate.
Key sources used for this analysis include RE/MAX Metropolitana Punta Cana price guide, CLIC Inmobiliaria price per m² report, Evalua Punta Cana condos, Evalua Cap Cana, Casanix La Altagracia apartments, Cana Tours property guide, Punta Cana Investment Intelligence price map, CLIC Punta Cana rents, AirROI Punta Cana, Banco Central exchange-rate data, Banco Central tourism statistics, Banco BDI reference rates, ONE construction-cost index, Revista Mercado on airport traffic, DGII transfer-tax calculator, DGII IPI rules, Law 30-26, 1122 Real Estate closing costs 2026, MITUR Confotur project search, CEPM electricity tariffs and SITUR/MITUR tourism data.
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