Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Puerto Plata Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Puerto Plata

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $850 in Puerto Plata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,285 in Puerto Plata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,721 in Puerto Plata.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 170% more expensive than in Puerto Plata, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Puerto Plata is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$5.00 DOP 291

223.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$37.64 DOP 2,193

68.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$7.33 DOP 427

40.79%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.34 DOP 77.9

111.19%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.97 DOP 56.4

136.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.72 DOP 41.95

119.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.33 DOP 136

45.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.87 DOP 225

4.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.99 DOP 57.8

10.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.78 DOP 103

-1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.99 DOP 57.7

77.78%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.46 DOP 85.3

117.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$3.06 DOP 178

331.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.28 DOP 250

86.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$3.84 DOP 223

304.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.18 DOP 185

-25.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.92 DOP 53.8

85.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.90 DOP 169

-30.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.94 DOP 113

25.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.92 DOP 112

-8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.40 DOP 140

-15.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.13 DOP 65.8

69.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.17 DOP 10.17

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.49 DOP 203

88.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$8.38 DOP 488

-33.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.63 DOP 153

-49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.27 DOP 191

-9.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.53 DOP 30.79

330.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$30.79 DOP 1,793

48.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.30 DOP 192

28.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.11 DOP 123

-61.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$2.53 DOP 147

628.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.26 DOP 73.3

65.08%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$26.1K DOP 1.5M

32.92%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$31.3K DOP 1.8M

25.03%

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

$148 €130

$50.2 DOP 2,921

195.21%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$25.73 DOP 1,499

-20.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$36.07 DOP 2,101

9.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$8.38 DOP 488

472.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$8.34 DOP 486

123.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$4.89 DOP 285

88.55%

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

$616 €540

$263 DOP 15.3K

134.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,031 DOP 60.0K

1495.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$46.63 DOP 2,716

120.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$44.15 DOP 2,572

-5.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$89.4 DOP 5,206

6.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$64.1 DOP 3,731

90.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$344 DOP 20.0K

374.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$271 DOP 15.8K

354.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$823 DOP 47.9K

276.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$408 DOP 23.8K

397.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.15

-46.71%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Puerto Plata: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $344 in Puerto Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $38.00 in Puerto Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $176 per month, with Puerto Plata 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 Puerto Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Puerto Plata differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $850 including rent). Puerto Plata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $1,275 in Puerto Plata 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $344 in Puerto Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $263 in Puerto Plata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $850 in Puerto Plata versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Plata but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Plata the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Puerto Plata 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 Puerto Plata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.