Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sosua Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sosua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,188 in Sosua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,085 in Sosua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,981 in Sosua.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 86% more expensive than Sosua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sosua is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$8.27 DOP 482

92.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$51.8 DOP 3,023

24.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.29 DOP 425

44.17%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.73 DOP 159

5.13%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.99 DOP 57.6

126.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.77 DOP 45.04

94.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.62 DOP 153

33.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.06 DOP 295

-23.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.35 DOP 78.5

-15.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.78 DOP 104

-1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.16 DOP 67.4

51.72%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.89 DOP 111

70.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.01 DOP 409

92.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.45 DOP 376

22.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.67 DOP 447

106.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.67 DOP 156

-13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.78 DOP 45.65

117.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.01 DOP 175

-33.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.88 DOP 109

30.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.34 DOP 137

-21.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.28 DOP 133

-12.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.04 DOP 60.9

85.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.75 DOP 43.54

5.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$5.70 DOP 332

15.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$10.53 DOP 614

-45.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.69 DOP 157

-49.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.53 DOP 148

17.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.70 DOP 40.82

238.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.43 DOP 200

25.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.14 DOP 125

-61.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.03 DOP 351

203.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.26 DOP 73.6

63.49%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$27.0K DOP 1.6M

26.99%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$31.1K DOP 1.8M

26.44%

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

$148 €127

$76.1 DOP 4,438

94.34%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$20.61 DOP 1,202

-0.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$35.89 DOP 2,093

10.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$25.12 DOP 1,465

90.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.83 DOP 399

34.41%

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

$614 €528

$262 DOP 15.3K

134.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,250 DOP 364.6K

156.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$60.9 DOP 3,550

71.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$52.8 DOP 3,079

-20.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$94.8 DOP 5,528

-0.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$116 DOP 6,794

2.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$467 DOP 27.2K

248.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$466 DOP 27.2K

169.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,433 DOP 83.6K

111.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,306 DOP 76.2K

54.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,916 DOP 111.7K

307.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,822 DOP 106.3K

134.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

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 Sosua: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $467 in Sosua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $52.0 in Sosua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $223 per month, with Sosua 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 Sosua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sosua differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,188 including rent). Sosua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,782 in Sosua to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $467 in Sosua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,188 in Sosua – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,188 in Sosua versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sosua but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sosua 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 Sosua 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 Sosua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.