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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $662 in Higuey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,052 in Higuey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,443 in Higuey.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 244% more expensive than in Higuey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Higuey is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$4.77 DOP 277

230.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$28.42 DOP 1,651

123.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$5.12 DOP 298

104.10%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.21 DOP 128

31.67%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.46 DOP 26.61

397.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.40 DOP 23.44

275.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.92 DOP 111

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.01 DOP 175

31.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.04 DOP 60.7

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.00 DOP 58.4

76.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.87 DOP 50.5

95.40%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.51 DOP 87.7

115.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$2.62 DOP 152

405.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$3.44 DOP 200

123.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$4.97 DOP 289

217.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$3.19 DOP 185

-28.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.87 DOP 50.7

90.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.99 DOP 173

-32.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.01 DOP 117

22.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.91 DOP 52.8

96.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.28 DOP 133

-9.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.10 DOP 63.7

79.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.84 DOP 48.74

-1.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$4.19 DOP 244

56.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$10.84 DOP 630

-48.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.72 DOP 99.9

-22.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.48 DOP 144

21.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.05 DOP 60.8

116.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.50 DOP 203

20.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.12 DOP 123

-59.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$6.03 DOP 350

212.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.31 DOP 76.3

54.20%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

33.58%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$31.6K DOP 1.8M

25.50%

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

$148 €128

$50.8 DOP 2,952

191.26%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$25.82 DOP 1,501

-20.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$26.03 DOP 1,512

51.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$14.20 DOP 825

239.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$4.31 DOP 251

111.14%

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

$615 €532

$262 DOP 15.2K

134.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$8,077 DOP 469.3K

101.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$59.7 DOP 3,467

70.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$52.4 DOP 3,042

-19.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$97.3 DOP 5,652

-5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$116 DOP 6,749

5.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$158 DOP 9,210

916.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$109 DOP 6,360

1045.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$275 DOP 16.0K

1015.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$208 DOP 12.1K

876.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,947 DOP 113.2K

298.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,284 DOP 74.6K

233.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$466 DOP 27.1K

243.98%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Higuey: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $158 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 244% 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 $28.00 in Higuey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $170 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 244% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 244% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $158 in Higuey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $662 in Higuey – a 244% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $662 in Higuey versus $2,280 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 244% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.