Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Puerto Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Plata: $808 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Puerto Plata
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$808
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Puerto Plata

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Puerto Plata actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $808 in Puerto Plata.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Puerto Plata $808

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,325 in Puerto Plata.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Puerto Plata $1,325

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,841 in Puerto Plata.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Puerto Plata $1,841

Living in Lisbon is roughly 172% more expensive than in Puerto Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Puerto Plata is 40% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Puerto Plata
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$5.54 DOP 340
207.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$32.63 DOP 1,999
90.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$7.35 DOP 450
49.93%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$1.45 DOP 89.0
115.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.69 DOP 42.34
228.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$0.32 DOP 19.58
443.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$1.92 DOP 117
78.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$2.37 DOP 145
57.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Puerto Plata
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.20 DOP 73.7
-2.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.58 DOP 97.1
17.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.01 DOP 61.8
52.48%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$1.31 DOP 80.4
209.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$3.81 DOP 233
238.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$5.37 DOP 329
47.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$5.44 DOP 333
224.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.37 DOP 145
-4.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$0.82 DOP 50.5
113.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.67 DOP 103
13.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$0.88 DOP 53.7
190.91%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.03 DOP 63.4
79.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.19 DOP 72.7
65.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.84 DOP 51.2
72.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.93 DOP 57.0
-17.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$2.47 DOP 152
171.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$9.20 DOP 564
-38.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.03 DOP 124
-32.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$2.94 DOP 180
-28.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Puerto Plata
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$0.94 DOP 57.8
146.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$3.26 DOP 200
21.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$2.26 DOP 139
-53.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$5.73 DOP 351
199.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.26 DOP 77.5
73.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$29.4K DOP 1.8M
14.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$34.4K DOP 2.1M
11.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Puerto Plata
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$41.41 DOP 2,537
295.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$22.67 DOP 1,389
-18.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$35.58 DOP 2,179
-7.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Puerto Plata
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$4.81 DOP 295
102.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Puerto Plata
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$250 DOP 15.3K
173.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$7,310 DOP 447.8K
141.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Puerto Plata
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$18.91 DOP 1,158
448.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$12.87 DOP 788
258.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$86.1 DOP 5,274
15.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$120 DOP 7,375
3.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Puerto Plata
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$437 DOP 26.8K
263.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$297 DOP 18.2K
293.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$829 DOP 50.8K
243.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$670 DOP 41.1K
197.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Puerto Plata
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$331 DOP 20.2K
384.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
13.56
-71.61%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Puerto Plata: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Puerto Plata
$297 74.6% $872
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Puerto Plata
$174 36.3% $99
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Puerto Plata
$102 58.7% $145
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Puerto Plata
$100 53.7% $116
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Puerto Plata
$107 36.4% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Puerto Plata
$9.6 * 85.3% $56
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Puerto Plata
$18 * 70.9% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $437 in Puerto Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 384% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $33.00 in Puerto Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $174 per month, with Puerto Plata cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇩🇴 Puerto Plata
🕒 Local time
18:01 6:01 PM
13:01 1:01 PM
5 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
130,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Puerto Plata 6,210 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Puerto Plata

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Puerto Plata?
Lisbon and Puerto Plata differ by about 172% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $808 including rent). Puerto Plata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Puerto Plata?
Average pay runs 384% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Puerto Plata?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $437 in Puerto Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Puerto Plata?
All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $808 in Puerto Plata – a 172% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $808 in Puerto Plata versus $2,202 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.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Puerto Plata?
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.
Is Lisbon or Puerto Plata safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Puerto Plata?
Expats usually find Puerto Plata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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