Cabarete vs Sosúa: Two North-Coast Neighbors Compared

Two towns, one stretch of coast

Cabarete and Sosúa sit side by side on the Dominican Republic's north coast. Both are in Puerto Plata province and both are served by the same airport, yet they feel very different. Cabarete is a compact, sporty beach town built around kitesurfing and windsurfing, with 16,148^[1] residents. Sosúa is the larger of the two, at 56,982^[2], with a sheltered bay, a busier town center and a long-established expat community. Many people who move to this coast end up spending time in both before choosing where to settle.

Rent: thin data, handle with care

Rent for both towns comes from Numbeo: crowdsourced averages from a small number of contributors. Read these as rough signals, not market medians.

• 1 bedroom: ≈ $700 per month (RD$41,721)^[3] in Cabarete vs ≈ $872 per month (RD$51,941)^[4] in Sosúa
• 3 bedrooms: ≈ $1,201 per month (RD$71,522)^[5] in Cabarete vs ≈ $1,744 per month (RD$103,883)^[6] in Sosúa

On these figures Cabarete comes out lower for both sizes. With so few contributors behind them, though, a handful of entries can swing the averages. Before signing anything, look at current listings and ask around locally; seasonal and long-term prices on this coast can differ sharply.

Livingcost.org's modelled cost of living for one person, excluding rent, is $480 per month^[7] in Cabarete and $497 per month^[8] in Sosúa. It's the same method for both, so the comparison holds: Cabarete is marginally cheaper, but the gap is small enough that your lifestyle will matter far more than your address.

Buying property and vacation rentals

Condo prices for both towns come from TheLatinvestor, so they're directly comparable: ≈ $2,653 per m² (RD$158,000)^[9] in Cabarete vs ≈ $2,384 per m² (RD$142,000)^[10] in Sosúa. Sosúa is the lower of the two per square meter. That runs opposite to the rent figures, which is one more reason to treat the thin rent data with caution.

Land is harder to separate. The RE/MAX land figure of $88 per m²^[11] is a province-wide number for all of Puerto Plata, and Sosúa gets the very same figure, so it doesn't distinguish between the two towns.

For investors weighing short-term rentals, Airbtics reports an average nightly rate of $108 per night^[12] in Cabarete and $146 per night^[13] in Sosúa, with occupancy of 51 %^[14] and 45 %^[15] respectively. Sosúa commands the higher nightly rate, while Cabarete listings are booked a little more often. Both sources are the same, so this is a fair read of how the two markets differ.

Beaches, culture and nightlife

Cabarete's beaches are its reason for being: Cabarete Bay in town, Kite Beach just to the west and Playa Encuentro further along, a favorite with surfers. The town is also home base for the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival. TripAdvisor lists 114 restaurants listed^[16], from beach bars to Cabarete Coffee Company, Wilson's La Boca and Tamar.

Sosúa's main beach, Sosúa Beach, is known for clear water and golden sand, and Playa Alicia is close by. The town has a remarkable history: its Jewish Museum and synagogue are maintained by descendants of Jewish refugees who settled here during the Second World War. Dining runs to international restaurants and beachfront bars, and the Los Charamicos neighborhood is known for its nightlife, dancing and bar scene.

Airport, healthcare and safety

Both towns use Gregorio Luperón International (POP). Sosúa is the closer of the two at 9 minutes by car^[17], while Cabarete is 19 minutes by car^[18] away.

For medical care, Sosúa has Centro Médico Dr. Quiroz and Centro Médico Cabarete, which, despite its name, sits on the Sosúa–Cabarete road inside Sosúa municipality. In Cabarete itself, Servimed runs a medical practice on the main road. Puerto Plata, a short drive west, adds larger facilities to the mix.

Homicide counts are province-wide: Puerto Plata province recorded 9 homicides, Jan–Jun 2026^[19]. Because it's one provincial count shared by both towns, it says nothing about which one is safer. The same goes for the expat figure, 40,691^[20] across the whole province.

Bottom line

Pick Cabarete for water sports, a smaller and more laid-back beach town, and slightly lower day-to-day costs on modelled data. Pick Sosúa for a swimming beach in a sheltered bay, a larger town, a shorter airport run and lower condo prices per square meter. Either way, verify rents on the ground. See the full side-by-side on Cabarete vs Sosúa.