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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,106 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,653 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,200 in Las Terrenas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 105% more expensive than Las Terrenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Las Terrenas is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$6.72 DOP 394

137.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$47.99 DOP 2,811

32.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$7.22 DOP 423

43.77%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.04 DOP 120

36.76%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.00 DOP 58.5

134.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.84 DOP 49.34

86.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.50 DOP 147

37.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$4.96 DOP 290

-21.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.23 DOP 72.3

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.39 DOP 81.3

27.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.17 DOP 68.8

46.15%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.65 DOP 96.7

90.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$6.95 DOP 407

96.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.46 DOP 378

23.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$10.84 DOP 635

43.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.50 DOP 146

-8.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.85 DOP 49.83

92.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.16 DOP 68.2

67.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.17 DOP 68.4

114.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.21 DOP 70.6

47.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.35 DOP 138

-14.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.87 DOP 51.0

126.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.48 DOP 28.38

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.97 DOP 291

36.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$17.02 DOP 997

-66.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.41 DOP 141

-42.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.36 DOP 138

27.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.71 DOP 100

32.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$3.37 DOP 197

27.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.22 DOP 130

-61.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$5.97 DOP 350

206.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.31 DOP 76.5

51.91%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

33.65%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$31.1K DOP 1.8M

27.09%

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

$146 €126

$75.0 DOP 4,392

94.98%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$23.36 DOP 1,368

-12.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$35.70 DOP 2,091

9.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$21.37 DOP 1,252

129.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$17.25 DOP 1,011

9.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$6.64 DOP 389

43.37%

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

$608 €524

$85.6 DOP 5,015

610.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$4,650 DOP 272.4K

255.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$42.39 DOP 2,483

145.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$42.95 DOP 2,516

-1.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$71.6 DOP 4,196

28.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$85.8 DOP 5,028

39.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$767 DOP 44.9K

111.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$451 DOP 26.4K

180.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$1,471 DOP 86.1K

107.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$666 DOP 39.0K

201.81%

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

12.9

-70.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $767 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $48.00 in Las Terrenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $220 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 105% 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 $3,394 in Lisbon and $1,659 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $767 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $85.6 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 $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,106 in Las Terrenas versus $2,263 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 $1,106 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 105% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.