Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ar-rass Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ar-rass

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,169 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,770 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,372 in Ar-rass.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 89% more expensive than Ar-rass, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Ar-rass is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$6.55 SAR 24.58

142.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$44.10 SAR 166

46.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.87 SAR 29.52

33.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.62 SAR 13.57

-20.72%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.76 SAR 2.84

194.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.29 SAR 1.08

417.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.39 SAR 8.97

-52.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.01 SAR 3.79

73.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.55 SAR 5.82

13.55%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.61 SAR 13.56

-10.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$6.77 SAR 25.40

99.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.45 SAR 27.96

6.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$13.04 SAR 48.93

21.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.23 SAR 8.38

3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.64 SAR 6.16

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.75 SAR 6.56

14.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.56 SAR 5.87

57.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.28 SAR 4.81

43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.31 SAR 4.92

52.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.19 SAR 4.46

62.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.59 SAR 2.20

33.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.29 SAR 23.61

5.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.09 SAR 4.08

117.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$39.20 SAR 147

16.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.61 SAR 9.78

64.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.92 SAR 7.22

-57.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$13.48 SAR 50.6

35.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.59 SAR 2.21

249.15%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$27.0K SAR 101.4K

26.84%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

73.91%

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

$148 €127

$104 SAR 390

42.16%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$33.90 SAR 127

-39.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$72.7 SAR 273

-45.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$43.87 SAR 165

9.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$35.18 SAR 132

-46.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$15.52 SAR 58.3

-40.85%

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

$614 €528

$349 SAR 1,310

75.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,909 SAR 25.9K

132.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$21.12 SAR 79.3

395.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$61.3 SAR 230

-31.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$79.5 SAR 298

18.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$82.4 SAR 309

45.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$445 SAR 1,669

266.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$382 SAR 1,434

228.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$388 SAR 1,455

681.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$614 SAR 2,303

229.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,559 SAR 9,604

204.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,508 SAR 5,658

183.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,728 SAR 6,485

-7.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.42

-13.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $445 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $205 per month, with Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ar-rass differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,169 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ar-rass earns 8% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $445 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $349 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,169 in Ar-rass versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.