Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Al Muharraq Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Al Muharraq

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,219 in Al Muharraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,752 in Al Muharraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,284 in Al Muharraq.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 88% more expensive than in Al Muharraq, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Al Muharraq is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$4.09 BHD 1.54

295.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$26.83 BHD 10.11

136.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.29 BHD 1.99

95.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$4.07 BHD 1.53

-30.47%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.85 BHD 0.32

169.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.36 BHD 0.14

338.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$5.36 BHD 2.02

-36.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$7.82 BHD 2.95

-48.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.30 BHD 0.49

-16.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.52 BHD 0.20

236.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.32 BHD 0.87

-24.14%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.33 BHD 0.88

36.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$4.62 BHD 1.74

185.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$5.15 BHD 1.94

54.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$7.93 BHD 2.99

95.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.20 BHD 0.45

97.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.59 BHD 0.60

7.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.07 BHD 0.40

87.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.22 BHD 0.46

99.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.76 BHD 0.29

131.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.52 BHD 0.20

290.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.16 BHD 0.44

65.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.51 BHD 0.19

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.27 BHD 1.99

24.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$18.78 BHD 7.08

-70.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$3.35 BHD 1.26

-60.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.16 BHD 1.19

-6.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.83 BHD 0.31

174.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.70 BHD 1.77

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.69 BHD 1.01

-69.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$5.23 BHD 1.97

252.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.44 BHD 0.17

372.73%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$37.0K BHD 14.0K

-6.39%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$15.6K BHD 5,896

150.32%

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

$148 €130

$105 BHD 39.71

40.53%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$21.06 BHD 7.94

-2.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$39.15 BHD 14.76

1.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$52.3 BHD 19.72

-8.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$7.15 BHD 2.70

28.95%

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

$616 €540

$387 BHD 146

59.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,944 BHD 2,240

176.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$26.95 BHD 10.16

281.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$63.9 BHD 24.09

-34.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$83.4 BHD 31.44

13.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$90.3 BHD 34.02

35.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$608 BHD 229

168.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$504 BHD 190

144.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$969 BHD 365

219.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$790 BHD 298

157.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$2,011 BHD 758

289.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,612 BHD 608

172.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,549 BHD 584

3.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.56

-55.49%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Al Muharraq: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $608 in Al Muharraq. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 4% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in Al Muharraq for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $201 per month, with Al Muharraq 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 Al Muharraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Al Muharraq differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,219 including rent). Al Muharraq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $608 in Al Muharraq. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,219 in Al Muharraq – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,219 in Al Muharraq versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al Muharraq but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Al Muharraq 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 Al Muharraq 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 Al Muharraq gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.