Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Ula and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Ula: $1,184 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Al-Ula
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,184
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-Ula and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al-Ula and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Al-Ula vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Al-Ula $1,184
  • Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $1,757 per month in Al-Ula vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Al-Ula $1,757
  • Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $2,330 per month in Al-Ula vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Al-Ula $2,330
  • Lisbon $4,319

Al-Ula is about 47% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Al-Ula sits 12% below the global median, while Lisbon is 65% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Al-Ula
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.11 SAR 22.91
$16.50 €14.67
-62.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.80 SAR 138
$61.3 €54.5
-39.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.96 SAR 29.87
$11.27 €10.03
-29.37%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.89 SAR 7.08
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 SAR 8.62
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.17 SAR 11.89
$3.06 €2.72
3.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 SAR 3.24
$2.26 €2.01
-61.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 SAR 0.98
$1.73 €1.54
-84.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.39 €3.02
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.40 €3.02
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Al-Ula
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 SAR 6.52
$1.12 €1.00
55.36%
White Bread (500g)
$1.27 SAR 4.75
$1.86 €1.65
-31.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.30 SAR 8.62
$1.53 €1.36
50.33%
Eggs
$2.32 SAR 8.72
$3.96 €3.53
-41.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.39 SAR 27.75
$12.76 €11.35
-42.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.07 SAR 30.27
$7.90 €7.02
2.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.67 SAR 47.54
$16.97 €15.09
-25.34%
Apples (1kg)
$2.25 SAR 8.45
$2.27 €2.02
-0.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.76 SAR 6.60
$1.75 €1.55
0.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 SAR 5.94
$1.85 €1.64
-14.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.57 SAR 5.89
$2.57 €2.28
-38.91%
Potato (1kg)
$1.23 SAR 4.61
$1.86 €1.65
-33.87%
Onion (1kg)
$1.28 SAR 4.79
$2.02 €1.80
-36.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 SAR 4.58
$1.44 €1.28
-15.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 SAR 2.02
$0.82 €0.73
-34.15%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$2.86 SAR 10.71
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 SAR 6.68
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 SAR 7.91
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.74 SAR 25.28
$6.56 €5.83
2.74%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$5.62 €5.00
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.28 €1.14
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.07 €1.84
-
🚌 Getting Around
Al-Ula
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.09 SAR 4.08
$2.35 €2.09
-53.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.77 SAR 138
$44.18 €39.30
-16.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.61 SAR 9.80
$3.99 €3.55
-34.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.85 SAR 6.95
$1.09 €0.97
69.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.14 SAR 49.29
$16.64 €14.81
-21.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.65 SAR 2.44
$2.28 €2.03
-71.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.0K SAR 165.2K
$33.7K €30.0K
30.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.3K SAR 79.9K
$39.3K €35.0K
-45.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al-Ula
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 SAR 397
$167 €149
-36.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.21 SAR 125
$18.80 €16.72
76.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.8 SAR 247
$33.09 €29.43
98.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Al-Ula
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$82.4 SAR 309
$46.01 €40.93
79.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.19 €17.07
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.33 SAR 50.0
$9.84 €8.75
35.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Al-Ula
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$425 SAR 1,596
$677 €602
-37.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,102 SAR 30.4K
$16.9K €15.1K
-52.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Al-Ula
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.74 SAR 160
$101 €90.1
-57.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 SAR 208
$45.76 €40.70
21.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.2 SAR 361
$100.0 €88.9
-3.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.6 SAR 329
$123 €109
-28.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Al-Ula
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$576 SAR 2,162
$1,614 €1,436
-64.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$372 SAR 1,397
$1,197 €1,065
-68.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$832 SAR 3,121
$2,862 €2,545
-70.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$572 SAR 2,147
$1,990 €1,770
-71.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,323 SAR 8,718
$7,577 €6,740
-69.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,382 SAR 5,187
$4,307 €3,831
-67.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Al-Ula
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,588 €1,412
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.54
3.85
43.90%

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

Last update for Al-Ula: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Al-Ula
$372
Lisbon
$1.2K 222% $825
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al-Ula
$205
Lisbon
$219 7% $14
Groceries & Markets
Al-Ula
$203
Lisbon
$269 33% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Al-Ula
$127
Lisbon
$166 31.2% $40
Eating Out
Al-Ula
$115
Lisbon
$242 110% $127
Sport & Entertainment
Al-Ula
$109
Lisbon
$66 39.8% $43
Getting Around
Al-Ula
$53
Lisbon
$63 18.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $576 in Al-Ula versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Al-Ula versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $269 – making Al-Ula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Al-Ula
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
12:29 12:29 PM
10:29 10:29 AM
2 h behind Al-Ula
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
32,413
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Al-Ula Lisbon 4,560 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Al-Ula
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Al-Ula vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Al-Ula and in Lisbon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,184 in Al-Ula, $2,223 in Lisbon – roughly 88% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Al-Ula compared to Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,776 per month in Al-Ula and $3,335 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Al-Ula and Lisbon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-Ula, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Al-Ula and Lisbon?
Kindergarten costs $425 per month in Al-Ula and $677 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 33% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-Ula, where all-in costs run around $1,184, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Al-Ula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Al-Ula and Lisbon?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,184 in Al-Ula to $2,223 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Al-Ula or Lisbon safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Al-Ula and Lisbon?
If budget matters most, go with Al-Ula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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