Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago de los Caballeros and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago de los Caballeros and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,393 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,879 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Santiago de los Caballeros costs roughly 59% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago de los Caballeros is 32% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.01 DOP 350

$15.91 €13.69

-62.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.41 DOP 2,649

$64.8 €55.7

-29.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 DOP 293

$10.51 €9.04

-52.24%

Cappuccino

$1.94 DOP 113

$2.87 €2.47

-32.40%

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

$0.79 DOP 46.19

$2.24 €1.93

-64.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 DOP 40.08

$1.50 €1.29

-54.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 DOP 151

$3.49 €3.00

-26.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 DOP 305

$3.88 €3.34

34.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 DOP 62.1

$1.14 €0.98

-7.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 DOP 85.2

$1.75 €1.51

-16.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 DOP 84.9

$1.76 €1.51

-17.05%

Eggs

$1.29 DOP 75.5

$3.22 €2.77

-59.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 DOP 427

$13.49 €11.61

-45.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 DOP 378

$7.91 €6.81

-18.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 DOP 636

$15.87 €13.65

-31.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 DOP 129

$2.31 €1.99

-4.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 DOP 52.8

$1.70 €1.46

-46.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 DOP 116

$2.01 €1.73

-1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 DOP 112

$2.46 €2.12

-22.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 DOP 127

$1.84 €1.59

18.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 DOP 139

$2.00 €1.72

19.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 DOP 51.8

$1.93 €1.66

-53.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 DOP 56.2

$0.79 €0.68

21.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 DOP 232

$6.61 €5.68

-39.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 DOP 636

$5.72 €4.92

90.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 DOP 151

$1.37 €1.17

89.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 DOP 188

$2.97 €2.56

8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 DOP 33.37

$2.37 €2.04

-75.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 DOP 196

$4.29 €3.69

-21.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 DOP 128

$0.82 €0.70

168.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 DOP 338

$18.30 €15.74

-68.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 DOP 74.2

$2.06 €1.78

-38.35%

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

$17.2K DOP 1.0M

$34.3K €29.5K

-49.76%

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

$18.9K DOP 1.1M

$39.3K €33.8K

-52.00%

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

$76.4 DOP 4,457

$148 €127

-48.33%

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

$19.10 DOP 1,114

$20.52 €17.65

-6.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.57 DOP 2,075

$39.61 €34.08

-10.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.48 DOP 1,486

$47.85 €41.16

-46.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.90 DOP 986

$18.92 €16.28

-10.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 DOP 373

$9.18 €7.90

-30.28%

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

$253 DOP 14.8K

$614 €528

-58.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,954 DOP 114.0K

$16.0K €13.8K

-87.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 DOP 3,465

$105 €90.0

-43.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 DOP 2,181

$42.06 €36.18

-11.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 DOP 4,570

$94.0 €80.8

-16.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.7 DOP 3,888

$120 €103

-44.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 DOP 24.7K

$1,628 €1,400

-74.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 DOP 15.8K

$1,255 €1,080

-78.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 DOP 38.8K

$3,030 €2,607

-78.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 DOP 21.8K

$2,020 €1,738

-81.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$986 DOP 57.5K

$7,800 €6,709

-87.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$928 DOP 54.1K

$4,273 €3,675

-78.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$533 DOP 31.1K

$1,603 €1,379

-66.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.9

3.81

238.58%

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

Last update for Santiago de los Caballeros: May 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Santiago de los Caballeros and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 201% 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: $45.00 in Santiago de los Caballeros vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $269 per month, with Santiago de los Caballeros 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

Santiago de los Caballeros vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago de los Caballeros and Lisbon differ by about 144% in total monthly costs ($907 vs $2,210 including rent). Santiago de los Caballeros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 201% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $423 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $1,628 in Lisbon. 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 $907 per month in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 144% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $907 in Santiago de los Caballeros versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago de los Caballeros but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago de los Caballeros 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, Santiago de los Caballeros 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 Santiago de los Caballeros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.