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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $931 in Higuey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,524 in Higuey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,116 in Higuey.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 147% more expensive than in Higuey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Higuey is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$9.98 DOP 588

76.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$50.6 DOP 2,982

24.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$8.00 DOP 472

44.75%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.09 DOP 123

48.33%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.08 DOP 63.9

130.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.49 DOP 28.94

255.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.56 DOP 151

35.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.60 DOP 212

-4.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.29 DOP 75.9

-10.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.56 DOP 92.0

22.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.42 DOP 83.6

5.63%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.00 DOP 118

99.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$7.55 DOP 445

76.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$5.52 DOP 325

45.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$6.84 DOP 403

163.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.01 DOP 177

-21.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$0.79 DOP 46.56

121.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.50 DOP 88.6

23.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.37 DOP 80.9

86.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.20 DOP 70.8

53.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.21 DOP 71.2

73.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.57 DOP 33.51

161.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.53 DOP 31.07

54.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$5.42 DOP 319

31.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$10.40 DOP 613

-43.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.58 DOP 152

-49.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.96 DOP 174

-28.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.83 DOP 49.09

184.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$51.5 DOP 3,032

-9.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$3.37 DOP 198

21.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.34 DOP 138

-51.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$5.83 DOP 343

193.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.37 DOP 81.0

68.61%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$23.8K DOP 1.4M

43.60%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$31.5K DOP 1.9M

31.44%

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

$169 €147

$95.1 DOP 5,606

77.18%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$17.15 DOP 1,011

12.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$33.89 DOP 1,997

-1.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$25.44 DOP 1,499

91.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$66.5 DOP 3,916

-70.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.74 DOP 456

23.64%

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

$696 €606

$101 DOP 5,950

589.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$2,257 DOP 133.0K

668.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$46.76 DOP 2,755

125.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$47.87 DOP 2,821

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$87.8 DOP 5,172

14.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$81.5 DOP 4,800

52.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$302 DOP 17.8K

449.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$219 DOP 12.9K

468.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$589 DOP 34.7K

403.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$415 DOP 24.5K

393.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$1,876 DOP 110.5K

317.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$1,294 DOP 76.3K

244.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$454 DOP 26.7K

259.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.5

-67.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Higuey: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $302 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 260% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $51.0 in Higuey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $200 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 147% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 260% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $302 in Higuey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $931 in Higuey – a 147% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Higuey runs roughly 10% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $931 in Higuey versus $2,296 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 147% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.