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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,166 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,488 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,810 in Las Terrenas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 97% more expensive than in Las Terrenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Las Terrenas is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$8.54 DOP 502

105.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$41.99 DOP 2,468

49.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$7.16 DOP 421

61.73%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.89 DOP 111

64.02%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.74 DOP 43.45

236.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.41 DOP 24.11

324.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.51 DOP 148

38.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.01 DOP 236

-14.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.23 DOP 72.3

-6.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.76 DOP 104

8.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.52 DOP 89.5

-1.32%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.49 DOP 87.5

167.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$6.32 DOP 371

110.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$3.74 DOP 220

114.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$4.81 DOP 282

275.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.70 DOP 217

-36.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.43 DOP 84.1

22.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.29 DOP 193

-43.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.21 DOP 130

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$3.54 DOP 208

-48.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$3.07 DOP 181

-31.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.96 DOP 56.4

55.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.65 DOP 96.9

-50.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.77 DOP 281

48.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$16.62 DOP 977

-64.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.98 DOP 175

-56.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.46 DOP 203

-38.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.60 DOP 153

56.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$3.42 DOP 201

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.33 DOP 78.3

73.68%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$15.5K DOP 908.0K

120.84%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$25.5K DOP 1.5M

62.08%

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

$169 €147

$95.5 DOP 5,610

76.53%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$27.82 DOP 1,635

-30.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$39.34 DOP 2,311

-14.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$4.95 DOP 291

93.33%

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

$696 €607

$153 DOP 9,012

353.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$5,479 DOP 322.0K

216.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$27.48 DOP 1,615

283.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$46.19 DOP 2,714

3.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$63.3 DOP 3,720

58.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$68.6 DOP 4,031

81.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,004 DOP 59.0K

65.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$509 DOP 29.9K

144.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$2,061 DOP 121.1K

43.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$2,383 DOP 140.0K

-14.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-65.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,004 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Las Terrenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $241 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 97% 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 $3,444 in Lisbon and $1,748 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,004 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $153 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 $42.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,166 in Las Terrenas versus $2,296 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 $1,166 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 97% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.