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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $914 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,395 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,875 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 151% more expensive than in Santiago de los Caballeros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Santiago de los Caballeros is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$6.11 DOP 356

164.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$45.49 DOP 2,652

39.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$5.20 DOP 303

98.46%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.95 DOP 114

45.13%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.79 DOP 46.26

189.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.70 DOP 40.56

125.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.62 DOP 153

29.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$5.01 DOP 292

-19.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.11 DOP 64.6

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.46 DOP 84.9

19.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.50 DOP 87.5

17.33%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.35 DOP 79.0

134.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$7.10 DOP 414

85.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.37 DOP 371

25.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$10.83 DOP 631

43.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.19 DOP 128

8.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.92 DOP 53.8

85.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.07 DOP 121

-2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.82 DOP 106

33.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.15 DOP 125

-18.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.30 DOP 134

-11.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.87 DOP 50.5

120.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.96 DOP 56.1

-11.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.01 DOP 234

64.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$10.74 DOP 627

-48.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.59 DOP 151

-48.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.13 DOP 183

-5.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.57 DOP 33.31

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.30 DOP 193

28.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.21 DOP 129

-63.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.03 DOP 352

205.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.26 DOP 73.7

65.08%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$17.2K DOP 1.0M

101.33%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$18.8K DOP 1.1M

108.77%

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

$148 €130

$77.8 DOP 4,533

90.42%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$18.66 DOP 1,088

9.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$36.71 DOP 2,141

7.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$26.05 DOP 1,519

84.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$16.47 DOP 960

12.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$6.22 DOP 363

48.23%

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

$616 €539

$258 DOP 15.1K

138.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,898 DOP 110.7K

766.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$59.8 DOP 3,486

71.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$37.04 DOP 2,160

12.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$80.7 DOP 4,706

17.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$68.2 DOP 3,976

78.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$431 DOP 25.2K

278.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$269 DOP 15.7K

358.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$670 DOP 39.1K

362.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$364 DOP 21.2K

457.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$986 DOP 57.5K

694.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$917 DOP 53.5K

378.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$554 DOP 32.3K

189.89%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Santiago de los Caballeros: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $431 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 190% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Santiago de los Caballeros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $223 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 151% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $914 including rent). Santiago de los Caballeros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 190% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $431 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 $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $914 in Santiago de los Caballeros – a 151% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $914 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $2,291 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 151% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.