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 $1,125 in Santo Domingo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,765 in Santo Domingo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,406 in Santo Domingo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 102% 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 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$10.19 DOP 601

72.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$49.77 DOP 2,934

29.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.99 DOP 471

45.81%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.40 DOP 142

35.83%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.12 DOP 66.3

122.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.64 DOP 37.71

160.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.57 DOP 151

35.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.45 DOP 204

3.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.39 DOP 82.2

-15.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.58 DOP 92.9

23.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.66 DOP 97.6

-6.02%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.40 DOP 141

67.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$7.33 DOP 432

81.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.80 DOP 342

45.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.00 DOP 413

160.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.32 DOP 196

-30.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.84 DOP 49.82

105.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.76 DOP 163

-30.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.85 DOP 109

42.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.10 DOP 124

-9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.23 DOP 131

-5.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.02 DOP 59.9

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.99 DOP 58.3

-19.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.46 DOP 322

28.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$10.41 DOP 614

-43.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.70 DOP 159

-49.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.97 DOP 175

-27.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.58 DOP 33.98

310.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$18.62 DOP 1,098

148.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.40 DOP 201

23.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.24 DOP 132

-50.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$5.78 DOP 341

198.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.42 DOP 83.7

58.45%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$23.4K DOP 1.4M

47.51%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$33.7K DOP 2.0M

23.36%

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

$171 €147

$93.1 DOP 5,492

83.47%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$32.61 DOP 1,922

-41.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$36.86 DOP 2,173

-7.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$30.74 DOP 1,812

61.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$24.70 DOP 1,456

-21.01%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.58 DOP 447

33.25%

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

$699 €603

$261 DOP 15.4K

167.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$6,954 DOP 410.0K

155.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$46.39 DOP 2,735

125.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$47.01 DOP 2,771

2.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$87.2 DOP 5,141

16.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$125 DOP 7,399

2.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$735 DOP 43.3K

126.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$357 DOP 21.0K

244.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,478 DOP 87.1K

97.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$647 DOP 38.1K

212.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,203 DOP 129.9K

269.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,191 DOP 70.2K

289.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$616 DOP 36.3K

162.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

13.56

-72.12%

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 $735 in Santo Domingo. 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $50.0 in Santo Domingo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $227 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 102% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,125 including rent). Santo Domingo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 163% 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 $735 in Santo Domingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $261 in Santo Domingo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,125 in Santo Domingo versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 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 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.