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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $938 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,432 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,926 in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 142% more expensive than in Santiago de los Caballeros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Santiago de los Caballeros is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$8.41 DOP 496

108.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$42.48 DOP 2,504

51.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.26 DOP 428

60.47%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.88 DOP 111

73.40%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.74 DOP 43.81

236.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.41 DOP 24.20

307.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.55 DOP 150

36.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.57 DOP 211

0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.18 DOP 69.7

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.56 DOP 91.9

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.53 DOP 89.9

1.96%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.54 DOP 90.6

160.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$6.55 DOP 386

102.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$3.62 DOP 214

132.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$4.86 DOP 287

275.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.27 DOP 193

-29.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.80 DOP 46.89

116.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.84 DOP 167

-32.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.82 DOP 107

45.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.00 DOP 118

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.23 DOP 132

-5.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.96 DOP 56.3

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.01 DOP 59.7

-20.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.80 DOP 283

46.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$10.65 DOP 628

-44.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.64 DOP 156

-48.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.98 DOP 175

-27.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.57 DOP 33.70

317.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$30.50 DOP 1,798

51.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.57 DOP 152

63.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.25 DOP 132

-51.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$6.02 DOP 355

186.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.35 DOP 79.8

66.67%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$15.2K DOP 898.7K

126.14%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$25.5K DOP 1.5M

63.29%

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

$171 €147

$92.7 DOP 5,468

84.26%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$27.31 DOP 1,610

-30.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$37.16 DOP 2,191

-7.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$25.11 DOP 1,481

97.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.97 DOP 293

103.22%

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

$699 €603

$155 DOP 9,146

350.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,685 DOP 335.2K

212.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$26.80 DOP 1,580

290.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$45.85 DOP 2,703

4.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$62.2 DOP 3,666

63.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$66.3 DOP 3,906

93.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$682 DOP 40.2K

143.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$276 DOP 16.3K

344.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,533 DOP 90.4K

90.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$467 DOP 27.5K

333.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$985 DOP 58.1K

725.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$898 DOP 52.9K

416.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$548 DOP 32.3K

195.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-65.64%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Santiago de los Caballeros: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $682 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 196% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Santiago de los Caballeros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $200 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 142% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $938 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 196% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $682 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $155 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $938 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $2,268 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 142% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.