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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $773 in Santo Domingo Este.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,361 in Santo Domingo Este.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,949 in Santo Domingo Este.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 186% more expensive than Santo Domingo Este, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Santo Domingo Este is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$8.44 DOP 490

88.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$42.63 DOP 2,472

51.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$7.29 DOP 423

44.17%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.27 DOP 73.6

125.98%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.02 DOP 59.2

119.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.50 DOP 28.99

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.60 DOP 151

34.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.37 DOP 195

15.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.24 DOP 72.2

-8.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.74 DOP 101

0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.57 DOP 90.9

12.10%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.72 DOP 99.7

87.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$7.10 DOP 412

90.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.67 DOP 213

115.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$6.93 DOP 402

129.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.18 DOP 185

-27.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.74 DOP 42.90

129.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.94 DOP 112

3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.33 DOP 77.3

84.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.95 DOP 54.8

93.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.82 DOP 106

9.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.08 DOP 62.7

78.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.90 DOP 52.2

-12.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$5.61 DOP 326

17.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$10.77 DOP 625

-46.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.68 DOP 97.5

-18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.22 DOP 129

33.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.88 DOP 51.0

169.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$33.86 DOP 1,964

34.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.35 DOP 194

28.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.18 DOP 127

-62.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$5.99 DOP 347

205.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.21 DOP 70.4

70.25%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.4K DOP 1.5M

29.89%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$31.8K DOP 1.8M

23.72%

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

$148 €127

$40.82 DOP 2,367

262.25%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$17.70 DOP 1,026

15.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$36.13 DOP 2,096

9.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$28.68 DOP 1,664

66.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$8.65 DOP 501

118.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$5.80 DOP 337

58.28%

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

$614 €529

$264 DOP 15.3K

132.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,885 DOP 341.3K

172.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$42.91 DOP 2,489

143.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$50.8 DOP 2,946

-17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$65.5 DOP 3,799

43.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$58.9 DOP 3,413

103.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$456 DOP 26.4K

257.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$170 DOP 9,874

637.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,059 DOP 61.4K

186.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$481 DOP 27.9K

320.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$609 DOP 35.3K

163.19%

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 Santo Domingo Este: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $456 in Santo Domingo Este. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 163% 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 $43.00 in Santo Domingo Este for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 186% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $773 including rent). Santo Domingo Este is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 163% 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 $456 in Santo Domingo Este. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $264 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 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $773 in Santo Domingo Este versus $2,210 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 186% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.