Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Punta Cana Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Punta Cana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,399 in Punta Cana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,000 in Punta Cana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,601 in Punta Cana.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 63% more expensive than in Punta Cana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Punta Cana 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$8.36 DOP 486

88.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$51.7 DOP 3,001

22.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$7.46 DOP 433

40.08%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.61 DOP 151

11.49%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.04 DOP 60.3

120.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.84 DOP 48.73

78.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.53 DOP 147

40.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$5.13 DOP 298

-22.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.35 DOP 78.3

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.46 DOP 84.6

20.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.52 DOP 88.2

11.84%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.27 DOP 132

43.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$7.27 DOP 423

82.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.34 DOP 368

21.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$10.32 DOP 600

52.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$3.02 DOP 175

-24.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.93 DOP 54.2

78.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.24 DOP 130

-9.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.96 DOP 114

26.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.06 DOP 61.3

68.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.45 DOP 84.1

42.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.72 DOP 42.03

173.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.92 DOP 53.3

-9.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$5.91 DOP 343

10.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$17.20 DOP 999

-67.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.64 DOP 153

-49.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$3.11 DOP 181

-3.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.83 DOP 47.97

173.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.42 DOP 199

23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.18 DOP 126

-61.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$6.06 DOP 352

210.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.32 DOP 76.9

53.03%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$26.0K DOP 1.5M

34.54%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$31.3K DOP 1.8M

26.72%

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

$148 €128

$75.1 DOP 4,365

96.95%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$19.74 DOP 1,147

3.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$36.22 DOP 2,105

9.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$63.7 DOP 3,701

-24.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$5.23 DOP 304

74.00%

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

$615 €532

$267 DOP 15.5K

130.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$7,129 DOP 414.3K

128.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$15.55 DOP 903

553.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$51.2 DOP 2,974

-17.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$65.2 DOP 3,790

41.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$118 DOP 6,847

3.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$838 DOP 48.7K

92.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$666 DOP 38.7K

88.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,316 DOP 76.5K

133.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$891 DOP 51.8K

128.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$3,005 DOP 174.6K

157.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,296 DOP 75.3K

230.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Punta Cana: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $838 in Punta Cana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $52.0 in Punta Cana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $241 per month, with Punta Cana 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 Punta Cana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Punta Cana differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,399 including rent). Punta Cana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $2,099 in Punta Cana 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $838 in Punta Cana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $1,399 in Punta Cana – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,399 in Punta Cana versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Punta Cana but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Punta Cana 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 Punta Cana 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 Punta Cana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.