Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Higuey Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Higuey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $666 in Higuey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,065 in Higuey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,464 in Higuey.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 234% more expensive than Higuey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Higuey is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$4.63 DOP 274

249.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$28.62 DOP 1,691

125.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$5.18 DOP 306

100.39%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.21 DOP 131

25.34%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.49 DOP 28.96

359.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.44 DOP 25.89

256.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.92 DOP 113

81.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.98 DOP 176

34.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.99 DOP 58.8

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.05 DOP 61.8

65.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.86 DOP 50.9

102.33%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.53 DOP 90.4

107.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$2.50 DOP 148

437.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$3.44 DOP 204

132.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$5.19 DOP 307

210.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$3.19 DOP 188

-28.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$0.85 DOP 50.3

102.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$3.04 DOP 179

-36.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.92 DOP 114

32.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.92 DOP 54.5

98.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.40 DOP 142

-15.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.13 DOP 66.9

75.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.81 DOP 48.09

4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$4.28 DOP 253

60.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$11.42 DOP 675

-49.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.67 DOP 98.9

-17.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.57 DOP 152

12.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.00 DOP 59.1

128.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$3.46 DOP 204

17.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.20 DOP 130

-62.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.04 DOP 357

202.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.26 DOP 74.6

59.52%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$26.8K DOP 1.6M

31.82%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$32.2K DOP 1.9M

19.43%

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

$145 €124

$51.6 DOP 3,047

181.95%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$24.97 DOP 1,476

-16.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$26.69 DOP 1,577

50.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$14.15 DOP 836

244.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$4.22 DOP 249

114.69%

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

$607 €519

$264 DOP 15.6K

129.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$7,942 DOP 469.3K

105.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$60.8 DOP 3,591

72.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$51.2 DOP 3,027

-20.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$95.9 DOP 5,669

-2.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$115 DOP 6,799

3.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$163 DOP 9,610

886.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$109 DOP 6,432

1035.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$282 DOP 16.7K

980.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$211 DOP 12.5K

875.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

12.25

-68.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Higuey: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $163 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Higuey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $171 per month, with Higuey 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 Higuey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Higuey is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 234% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $1,000 in Higuey 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $163 in Higuey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $666 in Higuey – a 234% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $666 in Higuey versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Higuey but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Higuey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Higuey is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Higuey 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 Higuey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 234% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.