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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $666 in Higuey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,063 in Higuey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,461 in Higuey.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 240% more expensive than Higuey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Higuey is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$4.60 DOP 270

246.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$28.81 DOP 1,687

119.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$5.00 DOP 293

107.60%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.24 DOP 131

24.55%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.49 DOP 28.71

377.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.43 DOP 25.31

265.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.89 DOP 110

81.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.92 DOP 171

33.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.05 DOP 61.2

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.06 DOP 61.8

66.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.81 DOP 47.48

111.11%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.51 DOP 88.5

108.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$2.51 DOP 147

445.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$3.34 DOP 196

139.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$4.98 DOP 292

211.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$3.18 DOP 186

-27.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.85 DOP 49.76

92.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$3.02 DOP 177

-35.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.93 DOP 113

30.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.90 DOP 52.8

98.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.38 DOP 139

-15.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.09 DOP 63.6

80.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.87 DOP 51.1

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.20 DOP 246

61.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$10.75 DOP 630

-47.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.74 DOP 102

-20.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.62 DOP 154

15.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.04 DOP 60.9

118.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$3.45 DOP 202

24.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.19 DOP 128

-61.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$5.80 DOP 340

215.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.28 DOP 74.8

55.47%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$27.0K DOP 1.6M

29.88%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$31.5K DOP 1.8M

25.43%

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

$146 €126

$51.2 DOP 2,996

185.79%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$25.39 DOP 1,487

-19.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$26.20 DOP 1,535

48.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$14.60 DOP 855

235.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$4.22 DOP 247

125.59%

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

$608 €524

$268 DOP 15.7K

127.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$8,089 DOP 473.9K

104.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$59.9 DOP 3,507

73.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$51.0 DOP 2,986

-17.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$96.4 DOP 5,650

-4.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$116 DOP 6,809

3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$159 DOP 9,295

921.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$109 DOP 6,370

1065.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$281 DOP 16.5K

982.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$213 DOP 12.5K

843.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Higuey: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $159 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Higuey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 240% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $999 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $159 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 $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $666 in Higuey – a 240% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $666 in Higuey versus $2,263 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 240% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.