Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cabarete Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cabarete

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,216 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,850 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,484 in Cabarete.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 89% more expensive than in Cabarete, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Cabarete is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$7.62 DOP 448

130.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$51.0 DOP 2,995

23.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$6.61 DOP 388

75.19%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.00 DOP 118

55.00%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.17

$1.09 DOP 64.0

128.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.64 DOP 37.44

171.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.60 DOP 153

33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.47 DOP 204

-0.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.46 DOP 85.6

-21.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.58 DOP 92.9

20.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.67 DOP 97.9

-10.18%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.32 DOP 136

71.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$7.36 DOP 433

80.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$5.86 DOP 344

36.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$6.86 DOP 403

162.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.03 DOP 178

-22.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.79 DOP 46.36

121.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.81 DOP 165

-34.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.84 DOP 108

38.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.04 DOP 120

-9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.30 DOP 135

-8.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.05 DOP 61.9

41.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.88 DOP 51.8

-6.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.10 DOP 241

73.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$10.59 DOP 622

-44.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.60 DOP 153

-49.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.58 DOP 151

-17.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.98 DOP 57.9

140.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$3.33 DOP 195

22.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.33 DOP 137

-51.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$6.04 DOP 355

182.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.21 DOP 71.0

90.91%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.1K €29.7K

$23.3K DOP 1.4M

46.77%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.4K €36.1K

$33.6K DOP 2.0M

23.08%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$169 €147

$93.9 DOP 5,515

79.58%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.33 €16.85

$31.97 DOP 1,879

-39.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$37.57 DOP 2,208

-10.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$25.15 DOP 1,478

94.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.84 DOP 461

22.07%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$696 €607

$256 DOP 15.1K

171.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,507 DOP 441.1K

131.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$45.91 DOP 2,698

129.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$46.82 DOP 2,751

1.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$89.3 DOP 5,250

12.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$126 DOP 7,428

-1.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$706 DOP 41.5K

135.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$504 DOP 29.6K

147.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,208 DOP 71.0K

145.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$793 DOP 46.6K

158.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$302 DOP 17.7K

1377.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

13.56

-72.12%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $706 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $51.0 in Cabarete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $223 per month, with Cabarete cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Cabarete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabarete wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cabarete the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $1,824 in Cabarete to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $706 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $256 in Cabarete. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cabarete – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,216 in Cabarete versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cabarete but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cabarete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cabarete delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,216 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cabarete hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Cabarete are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cabarete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.