Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Las Terrenas Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Las Terrenas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,097 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,645 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,194 in Las Terrenas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 103% more expensive than Las Terrenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Las Terrenas is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$6.64 DOP 392

143.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$47.74 DOP 2,821

35.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$7.23 DOP 427

43.57%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.05 DOP 121

35.12%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.03 DOP 61.0

118.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.79 DOP 46.39

98.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.58 DOP 153

35.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$5.03 DOP 297

-20.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.29 DOP 76.4

-16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.46 DOP 86.2

19.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.22 DOP 72.3

42.62%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.65 DOP 97.5

92.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$7.07 DOP 418

89.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.42 DOP 380

24.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$10.82 DOP 639

48.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.48 DOP 147

-8.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$0.92 DOP 54.1

86.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.22 DOP 72.0

59.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.22 DOP 72.3

108.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.20 DOP 71.1

52.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.36 DOP 140

-13.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.82 DOP 48.73

141.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.49 DOP 28.74

73.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$5.00 DOP 295

37.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$11.74 DOP 694

-50.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.31 DOP 136

-40.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.41 DOP 142

20.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.72 DOP 102

32.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$3.43 DOP 202

18.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.11 DOP 124

-61.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.01 DOP 355

203.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.25 DOP 74.1

60.80%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

34.71%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$31.2K DOP 1.8M

23.22%

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

$145 €124

$75.8 DOP 4,477

91.90%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$23.02 DOP 1,360

-8.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$35.41 DOP 2,092

13.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$21.17 DOP 1,251

130.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$17.25 DOP 1,019

8.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.89 DOP 407

31.49%

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

$607 €519

$85.9 DOP 5,078

605.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$4,721 DOP 279.0K

245.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$43.34 DOP 2,561

141.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$41.67 DOP 2,463

-1.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$71.5 DOP 4,224

30.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$83.7 DOP 4,945

41.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$762 DOP 45.0K

110.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$460 DOP 27.2K

168.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,431 DOP 84.5K

112.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$685 DOP 40.5K

200.44%

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

12.9

-70.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $762 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $48.00 in Las Terrenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $211 per month, with Las Terrenas 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 Las Terrenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Terrenas wins on cost – living expenses run 103% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Las Terrenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $1,645 in Las Terrenas 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 $762 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $85.9 in Las Terrenas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Las Terrenas – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,097 in Las Terrenas versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Las Terrenas but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Las Terrenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Las Terrenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,097 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Las Terrenas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Las Terrenas 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 Las Terrenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.