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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $830 in Puerto Plata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,281 in Puerto Plata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,733 in Puerto Plata.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 166% more expensive than Puerto Plata, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Puerto Plata is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$5.00 DOP 291

218.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$37.71 DOP 2,195

71.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$7.28 DOP 424

44.37%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.31 DOP 76.1

119.08%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.89 DOP 51.9

151.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.72 DOP 42.12

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.41 DOP 141

44.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.90 DOP 227

-0.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.99 DOP 57.7

15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.81 DOP 105

-3.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.04 DOP 60.5

69.23%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.41 DOP 82.2

128.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$3.06 DOP 178

340.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.15 DOP 242

90.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$3.71 DOP 216

327.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.34 DOP 195

-30.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.93 DOP 53.9

82.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.93 DOP 171

-31.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.96 DOP 114

25.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.89 DOP 110

-2.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.36 DOP 137

-15.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.13 DOP 65.6

70.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.15 DOP 8.71

426.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.36 DOP 195

96.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$8.35 DOP 486

-31.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.63 DOP 153

-47.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.17 DOP 184

-6.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.50 DOP 28.90

374.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$30.04 DOP 1,749

51.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.30 DOP 192

30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.12 DOP 123

-61.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$2.51 DOP 146

629.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.26 DOP 73.5

63.49%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.6K DOP 1.5M

28.82%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$31.2K DOP 1.8M

25.84%

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

$148 €127

$51.6 DOP 3,004

186.51%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$24.92 DOP 1,451

-17.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$36.22 DOP 2,109

9.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$8.34 DOP 485

473.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$8.60 DOP 500

120.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$4.69 DOP 273

95.74%

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

$614 €529

$269 DOP 15.7K

128.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,037 DOP 60.4K

1447.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$45.63 DOP 2,656

129.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$44.35 DOP 2,581

-5.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$87.6 DOP 5,096

7.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$62.6 DOP 3,644

91.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$354 DOP 20.6K

359.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$276 DOP 16.0K

355.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$825 DOP 48.0K

267.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$416 DOP 24.2K

385.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Puerto Plata: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $354 in Puerto Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $38.00 in Puerto Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $175 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 166% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $830 including rent). Puerto Plata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,245 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $354 in Puerto Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $269 in Puerto Plata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $830 in Puerto Plata versus $2,210 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 166% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.