Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samana Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $840 in Samana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,348 in Samana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,855 in Samana.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 165% more expensive than Samana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Samana is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$4.21 DOP 249

284.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$36.30 DOP 2,145

77.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$7.60 DOP 449

36.58%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.71 DOP 101

61.99%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.71 DOP 41.90

216.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.84 DOP 49.40

86.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.47 DOP 146

41.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$4.15 DOP 245

-3.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.38 DOP 81.8

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.88 DOP 51.9

97.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.87 DOP 51.1

100.00%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.03 DOP 120

56.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$6.27 DOP 370

114.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$5.29 DOP 313

51.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$8.26 DOP 488

94.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$3.00 DOP 177

-24.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$0.86 DOP 51.0

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.40 DOP 82.6

38.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.63 DOP 96.4

55.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.67 DOP 98.4

9.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.68 DOP 99.3

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.52 DOP 31.00

280.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.65 DOP 38.50

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$4.21 DOP 249

62.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$8.25 DOP 487

-29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.59 DOP 153

-47.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.94 DOP 174

-1.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.82 DOP 48.24

178.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$3.37 DOP 199

21.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.06 DOP 62.9

-22.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$5.96 DOP 352

206.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.23 DOP 72.7

63.41%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$26.3K DOP 1.6M

33.93%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$32.2K DOP 1.9M

19.52%

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

$145 €124

$50.8 DOP 3,004

186.00%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$16.94 DOP 1,001

23.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$36.28 DOP 2,144

10.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.67 DOP 394

35.83%

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

$607 €519

$265 DOP 15.6K

129.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$8,067 DOP 476.7K

102.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$61.2 DOP 3,619

70.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$52.0 DOP 3,074

-21.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$97.8 DOP 5,778

-4.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$117 DOP 6,901

1.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$303 DOP 17.9K

428.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$256 DOP 15.1K

383.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$729 DOP 43.1K

317.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$530 DOP 31.3K

288.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Samana: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $303 in Samana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $36.00 in Samana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $192 per month, with Samana 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 Samana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Samana differ by about 165% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $840 including rent). Samana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $1,260 in Samana 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $303 in Samana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $840 in Samana – a 165% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $840 in Samana versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Samana but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Samana 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 Samana 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 Samana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 165% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.