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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $792 in Santo Domingo Este.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,354 in Santo Domingo Este.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,916 in Santo Domingo Este.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 189% more expensive than in Santo Domingo Este, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Santo Domingo Este is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$8.60 DOP 501

88.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$43.02 DOP 2,506

47.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$7.59 DOP 442

35.97%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.28 DOP 74.3

121.09%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.00 DOP 58.2

129.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.50 DOP 29.12

216.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.57 DOP 150

32.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.44 DOP 201

17.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.22 DOP 71.2

-10.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.71 DOP 99.5

2.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.57 DOP 91.7

12.10%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.69 DOP 98.7

87.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$7.28 DOP 424

81.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$3.62 DOP 211

120.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$6.66 DOP 388

133.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.31 DOP 193

-28.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.74 DOP 42.93

131.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.93 DOP 112

4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.33 DOP 77.4

82.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.94 DOP 54.8

87.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.75 DOP 102

16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.10 DOP 63.9

74.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.90 DOP 52.7

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.70 DOP 332

15.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$10.80 DOP 629

-48.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.66 DOP 96.9

-19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.36 DOP 137

25.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.82 DOP 48.00

178.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$33.34 DOP 1,942

37.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.42 DOP 199

23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.12 DOP 123

-61.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$6.07 DOP 353

203.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.23 DOP 71.5

69.11%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$27.0K DOP 1.6M

28.56%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$31.3K DOP 1.8M

25.25%

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

$148 €130

$40.76 DOP 2,375

263.22%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$17.60 DOP 1,025

16.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$35.67 DOP 2,078

10.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$28.03 DOP 1,633

71.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$8.44 DOP 492

120.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.89 DOP 343

56.54%

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

$616 €540

$268 DOP 15.6K

130.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,898 DOP 343.6K

178.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$41.90 DOP 2,441

145.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$51.1 DOP 2,976

-18.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$65.9 DOP 3,840

43.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$58.7 DOP 3,421

107.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$454 DOP 26.5K

259.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$169 DOP 9,825

630.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,070 DOP 62.3K

189.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$473 DOP 27.5K

329.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$599 DOP 34.9K

168.32%

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 Santo Domingo Este: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $454 in Santo Domingo Este. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 168% 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 $43.00 in Santo Domingo Este for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $194 per month, with Santo Domingo Este 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 Este: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santo Domingo Este differ by about 189% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $792 including rent). Santo Domingo Este is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 168% 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 $454 in Santo Domingo Este. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $268 in Santo Domingo Este. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $792 in Santo Domingo Este versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santo Domingo Este but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santo Domingo Este 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 Este 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 Este gentler on the wallet – expenses run 189% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.