Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhahran and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhahran: $1,317 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Dhahran
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Dhahran Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Dhahran

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,317

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhahran 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 Dhahran and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,317 per month in Dhahran vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

Dhahran $1,317
Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $1,671 per month in Dhahran vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

Dhahran $1,671
Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $2,026 per month in Dhahran vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

Dhahran $2,026
Lisbon $4,319

Dhahran is about 41% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Dhahran sits 2% below the global median, while Lisbon is 65% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.30 SAR 19.90

$16.50 €14.67

-67.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.17 SAR 147

$61.3 €54.5

-36.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.35 SAR 23.81

$11.27 €10.03

-43.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 SAR 6.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

Cappuccino

$4.01 SAR 15.03

$3.06 €2.72

31.05%

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

$0.74 SAR 2.76

$2.26 €2.01

-67.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 SAR 0.70

$1.73 €1.54

-89.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.12 €1.00

47.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 SAR 3.62

$1.86 €1.65

-47.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 SAR 7.41

$1.53 €1.36

28.76%

Eggs

$3.87 SAR 14.54

$3.96 €3.53

-2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 SAR 32.23

$12.76 €11.35

-32.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.92 SAR 40.97

$7.90 €7.02

38.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.89 SAR 52.1

$16.97 €15.09

-18.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 SAR 8.07

$2.27 €2.02

-5.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 SAR 5.21

$1.75 €1.55

-20.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

$1.85 €1.64

-3.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 SAR 6.74

$2.57 €2.28

-29.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.61

$1.86 €1.65

-19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 SAR 3.61

$2.02 €1.80

-52.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 SAR 7.39

$1.44 €1.28

36.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 SAR 3.19

$0.82 €0.73

3.66%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.81 SAR 18.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SAR 9.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 SAR 20.92

$6.56 €5.83

-15.09%

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

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 SAR 3.11

$2.35 €2.09

-64.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$3.99 €3.55

-65.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 SAR 12.21

$1.09 €0.97

198.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 SAR 35.73

$16.64 €14.81

-42.79%

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)

$53.2K SAR 199.7K

$33.7K €30.0K

58.05%

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

$20.7K SAR 77.6K

$39.3K €35.0K

-47.35%

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

$59.0 SAR 221

$167 €149

-64.77%

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

$42.19 SAR 158

$18.80 €16.72

124.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 SAR 244

$33.09 €29.43

96.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$195 SAR 731

$46.01 €40.93

323.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$93.5 SAR 351

$19.19 €17.07

387.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 SAR 39.62

$9.84 €8.75

7.32%

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

$65.3 SAR 245

$677 €602

-90.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K SAR 49.8K

$16.9K €15.1K

-21.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 SAR 190

$101 €90.1

-50.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.79 SAR 157

$45.76 €40.70

-8.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 SAR 289

$100.0 €88.9

-23.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 SAR 339

$123 €109

-26.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 SAR 1,355

$1,614 €1,436

-77.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 SAR 1,700

$1,197 €1,065

-62.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 SAR 10.5K

$1,588 €1,412

75.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

3.85

16.88%

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

Last update for Dhahran: 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

Dhahran

$453 34.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 164% $744

Groceries & Markets

Dhahran

$231 17.6%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 16.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Dhahran

$216 16.4%

Lisbon

$66 3% 69.6% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhahran

$166 12.6%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 32.1% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Dhahran

$117 8.9%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 42.4% $50

Eating Out

Dhahran

$113 8.6%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 114% $129

Getting Around

Dhahran

$21 * 1.6%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 201% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $361 in Dhahran 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.

Salaries run about 75% higher in Dhahran, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Dhahran versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $269 – making Dhahran the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Dhahran

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

01:15 1:15 AM

2 h behind Dhahran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,521

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

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).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dhahran Lisbon 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhahran
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

Dhahran vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 69% more than Dhahran, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,976 per month in Dhahran and $3,335 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dhahran, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,317 in Dhahran and $2,223 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 69%.

Kindergarten costs $65.3 per month in Dhahran and $677 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dhahran, where all-in costs run around $1,317, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Dhahran it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dhahran costs $1,317 versus $2,223 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Dhahran. 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.