Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santiago de los Caballeros Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santiago de los Caballeros

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $907 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,393 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,879 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 144% more expensive than Santiago de los Caballeros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Santiago de los Caballeros is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$6.01 DOP 350

164.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$45.41 DOP 2,649

42.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.02 DOP 293

109.36%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.94 DOP 113

47.94%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.79 DOP 46.19

183.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.69 DOP 40.08

117.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.58 DOP 151

35.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.23 DOP 305

-25.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.06 DOP 62.1

7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.46 DOP 85.2

19.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.46 DOP 84.9

20.55%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.29 DOP 75.5

149.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.33 DOP 427

84.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.48 DOP 378

22.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$10.90 DOP 636

45.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.21 DOP 129

4.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.91 DOP 52.8

86.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.99 DOP 116

1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.91 DOP 112

28.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.18 DOP 127

-15.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.38 DOP 139

-15.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.89 DOP 51.8

116.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.96 DOP 56.2

-17.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.98 DOP 232

66.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$10.90 DOP 636

-47.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.59 DOP 151

-47.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.22 DOP 188

-7.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.57 DOP 33.37

315.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.35 DOP 196

28.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.20 DOP 128

-62.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$5.79 DOP 338

216.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.27 DOP 74.2

62.20%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$17.2K DOP 1.0M

99.05%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$18.9K DOP 1.1M

108.33%

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

$148 €127

$76.4 DOP 4,457

93.52%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$19.10 DOP 1,114

7.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$35.57 DOP 2,075

11.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$25.48 DOP 1,486

87.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$16.90 DOP 986

11.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.40 DOP 373

43.44%

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

$614 €528

$253 DOP 14.8K

142.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,954 DOP 114.0K

721.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$59.4 DOP 3,465

76.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$37.39 DOP 2,181

12.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$78.3 DOP 4,570

19.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$66.7 DOP 3,888

79.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$423 DOP 24.7K

284.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$271 DOP 15.8K

362.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$666 DOP 38.8K

355.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$374 DOP 21.8K

439.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$986 DOP 57.5K

690.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$928 DOP 54.1K

360.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$533 DOP 31.1K

200.89%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santiago de los Caballeros: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $423 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 201% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Santiago de los Caballeros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $225 per month, with Santiago de los Caballeros 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 Santiago de los Caballeros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santiago de los Caballeros differ by about 144% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $907 including rent). Santiago de los Caballeros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 201% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $423 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $907 in Santiago de los Caballeros – a 144% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $907 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago de los Caballeros but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago de los Caballeros 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 Santiago de los Caballeros 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 Santiago de los Caballeros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.