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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,485 in Sosua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,315 in Sosua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,144 in Sosua.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 56% more expensive than in Sosua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Sosua 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$10.33 DOP 606

67.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$51.7 DOP 3,030

22.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$7.62 DOP 447

49.48%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.38 DOP 140

34.03%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.08 DOP 63.6

126.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.65 DOP 37.83

170.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.59 DOP 152

38.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.54 DOP 208

-4.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.43 DOP 83.9

-13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.58 DOP 92.8

25.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.70 DOP 41.23

117.14%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.02 DOP 118

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$7.50 DOP 440

80.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$5.58 DOP 327

50.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$6.87 DOP 403

165.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.18 DOP 187

-27.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.79 DOP 46.30

120.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.87 DOP 169

-35.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.29 DOP 75.7

103.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.82 DOP 107

5.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.30 DOP 135

-9.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.71 DOP 41.61

102.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.44 DOP 25.80

90.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$5.60 DOP 328

21.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$10.65 DOP 624

-46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.60 DOP 153

-46.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.49 DOP 146

-10.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$3.42 DOP 201

21.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.34 DOP 137

-51.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$5.99 DOP 352

195.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.34 DOP 78.5

73.13%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$24.2K DOP 1.4M

45.90%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$34.2K DOP 2.0M

21.13%

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

$170 €146

$68.3 DOP 4,008

149.24%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$28.32 DOP 1,661

-31.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$34.41 DOP 2,018

-2.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$7.73 DOP 453

28.33%

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

$717 €617

$262 DOP 15.3K

174.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$7,096 DOP 416.2K

146.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$46.43 DOP 2,723

125.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$47.61 DOP 2,792

-1.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$88.0 DOP 5,161

17.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$128 DOP 7,490

-2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$876 DOP 51.4K

91.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$773 DOP 45.4K

64.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,786 DOP 104.7K

67.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$1,579 DOP 92.6K

26.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$1,900 DOP 111.4K

311.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,760 DOP 103.2K

164.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

13.56

-72.05%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sosua: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $876 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 $283 vs $208 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 56% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,485 including rent). Sosua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Lisbon and $2,227 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $876 in Sosua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,485 in Sosua – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,485 in Sosua versus $2,316 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 56% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.