Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santo Domingo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santo Domingo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $644 in Santo Domingo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,130 in Santo Domingo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,617 in Santo Domingo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 252% more expensive than in Santo Domingo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Santo Domingo is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$3.96 $3.96

343.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$52.6 $52.6

22.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$9.14 $9.14

27.46%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.94 $1.94

68.04%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.85 $0.85

192.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.65 $0.65

156.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.01 $2.01

72.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.37 $4.37

-18.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.98 $0.98

20.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.95 $1.95

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.35 $1.35

15.56%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.94 $1.94

106.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$4.33 $4.33

206.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$3.07 $3.07

174.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$3.56 $3.56

412.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.53 $1.53

51.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.03 $1.03

67.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.02 $1.02

89.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.90 $0.90

193.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.99 $0.99

91.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.99 $0.99

113.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.81 $0.81

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.97 $0.97

-17.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.84 $5.84

20.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.14 $5.14

15.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.55 $1.55

-12.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.12 $2.12

1.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.36 $0.36

561.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$20.79 $20.79

122.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.22 $1.22

243.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.74 $1.74

-36.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$11.92 $11.92

44.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.88 $0.88

155.68%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$20.8K $20.8K

65.82%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$31.8K $31.8K

30.76%

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

$171 €147

$36.60 $36.60

366.89%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$9.98 $9.98

90.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$23.46 $23.46

46.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$29.42 $29.42

68.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$16.32 $16.32

19.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.39 $7.39

36.67%

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

$699 €603

$394 $394

77.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$6,029 $6,029

194.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$19.95 $19.95

424.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$30.28 $30.28

58.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$50.2 $50.2

102.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$49.31 $49.31

160.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$300 $300

453.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$185 $185

564.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$673 $673

333.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$417 $417

385.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,213 $1,213

570.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$791 $791

486.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$395 $395

310.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

10.05

-62.39%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $300 in Santo Domingo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 310% 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 $53.0 in Santo Domingo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $146 per month, with Santo Domingo 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 Santo Domingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santo Domingo differ by about 252% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $644 including rent). Santo Domingo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 310% 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 $300 in Santo Domingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $394 in Santo Domingo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $644 in Santo Domingo versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santo Domingo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santo Domingo 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 Santo Domingo 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 Santo Domingo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 252% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.