Cost of Living Comparison Between Punta Cana and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Punta Cana and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $738 in Punta Cana versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,703 in Punta Cana versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,668 in Punta Cana versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Punta Cana costs roughly 68% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Punta Cana is 46% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.21 DOP 483

$17.59 €15.33

-53.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.55 DOP 2,441

$62.9 €54.8

-33.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 DOP 424

$11.58 €10.10

-37.65%

Cappuccino

$1.89 DOP 111

$3.10 €2.70

-39.03%

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

$0.67 DOP 39.63

$2.49 €2.17

-73.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 DOP 24.23

$1.74 €1.52

-76.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 DOP 154

$3.48 €3.03

-24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 DOP 246

$3.44 €3.00

21.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 DOP 73.0

$1.15 €1.00

7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 DOP 104

$1.91 €1.66

-7.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 DOP 86.4

$1.50 €1.31

-2.00%

Eggs

$1.48 DOP 87.1

$3.98 €3.47

-62.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.56 DOP 386

$13.29 €11.59

-50.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 DOP 218

$8.01 €6.98

-53.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.80 DOP 282

$18.04 €15.73

-73.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 DOP 177

$2.35 €2.05

28.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 DOP 83.6

$1.75 €1.53

-18.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 DOP 200

$1.85 €1.62

83.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 DOP 133

$2.55 €2.22

-11.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.64 DOP 214

$1.84 €1.61

97.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 DOP 173

$2.10 €1.83

40.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 DOP 57.0

$1.49 €1.30

-34.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 DOP 99.4

$0.82 €0.71

106.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.79 DOP 282

$7.10 €6.19

-32.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.67 DOP 980

$5.91 €5.15

182.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 DOP 175

$1.31 €1.15

126.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 DOP 203

$2.13 €1.86

61.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 DOP 86.9

$2.36 €2.05

-37.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 DOP 152

$4.08 €3.55

-36.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 DOP 198

$1.14 €0.99

194.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 DOP 79.5

$2.31 €2.01

-41.56%

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

$15.0K DOP 883.2K

$34.1K €29.7K

-55.96%

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

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

$41.4K €36.1K

-36.56%

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

$96.0 DOP 5,642

$169 €147

-43.03%

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

$27.61 DOP 1,622

$19.33 €16.85

42.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.28 DOP 2,308

$33.51 €29.21

17.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.3 DOP 4,892

$48.84 €42.57

70.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 DOP 984

$19.43 €16.94

-13.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 DOP 296

$9.57 €8.34

-47.34%

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

$152 DOP 8,920

$696 €607

-78.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,601 DOP 329.1K

$17.4K €15.1K

-67.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.58 DOP 1,620

$105 €91.8

-73.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.11 DOP 2,709

$47.75 €41.62

-3.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 DOP 3,568

$101 €87.6

-39.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.3 DOP 3,955

$124 €108

-45.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 DOP 55.6K

$1,662 €1,449

-43.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,721 DOP 159.9K

$2,965 €2,584

-8.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 DOP 59.5K

$2,049 €1,786

-50.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,027 DOP 177.9K

$7,834 €6,829

-61.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 DOP 74.1K

$4,464 €3,892

-71.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

191.01%

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

Last update for Punta Cana: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Punta Cana and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Punta Cana vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $277 per month, with Punta Cana 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

Punta Cana vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Punta Cana and Lisbon differ by about 211% in total monthly costs ($738 vs $2,296 including rent). Punta Cana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,107 in Punta Cana and $3,444 in Lisbon 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: $947 in Punta Cana versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $738 per month in Punta Cana versus $2,296 in Lisbon – a 211% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $738 in Punta Cana versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Punta Cana but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Punta Cana 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, Punta Cana and Lisbon 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 Punta Cana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.