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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,161 in Sosua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,032 in Sosua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,903 in Sosua.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 97% more expensive than in Sosua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sosua is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$8.63 DOP 503

87.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$51.7 DOP 3,016

22.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.05 DOP 411

46.38%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.63 DOP 153

7.60%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.99 DOP 58.0

131.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.83 DOP 48.25

90.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.49 DOP 145

36.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$5.06 DOP 295

-20.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.38 DOP 80.5

-21.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.73 DOP 101

1.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.16 DOP 67.8

51.72%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.84 DOP 107

72.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$7.25 DOP 423

81.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.47 DOP 377

23.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$7.64 DOP 446

103.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.59 DOP 151

-8.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.83 DOP 48.48

106.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.89 DOP 169

-30.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.87 DOP 109

29.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.29 DOP 133

-23.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.31 DOP 134

-12.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.04 DOP 60.4

84.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.77 DOP 45.02

10.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.91 DOP 345

11.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$10.61 DOP 619

-47.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.61 DOP 152

-49.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.51 DOP 147

18.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.69 DOP 40.37

230.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.33 DOP 194

27.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.22 DOP 129

-63.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$5.88 DOP 343

213.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.33 DOP 77.7

56.39%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$27.0K DOP 1.6M

28.44%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$32.1K DOP 1.9M

21.82%

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

$148 €130

$74.9 DOP 4,366

97.72%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$20.57 DOP 1,200

-0.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$35.93 DOP 2,095

10.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$25.20 DOP 1,469

90.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$6.70 DOP 391

37.61%

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

$616 €539

$267 DOP 15.6K

131.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,378 DOP 371.9K

157.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$58.9 DOP 3,437

74.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$50.8 DOP 2,963

-17.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$97.2 DOP 5,667

-2.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$117 DOP 6,836

4.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$459 DOP 26.7K

256.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$479 DOP 28.0K

157.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,464 DOP 85.3K

111.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,290 DOP 75.2K

57.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,873 DOP 109.2K

318.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,815 DOP 105.8K

141.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

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 Sosua: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $459 in Sosua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $52.0 in Sosua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 97% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,161 including rent). Sosua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $1,742 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $459 in Sosua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,161 in Sosua – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,161 in Sosua versus $2,291 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 97% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.