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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,096 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,661 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,226 in Ar-rass.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 111% more expensive than in Ar-rass, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Ar-rass is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$6.54 SAR 24.56

164.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$37.31 SAR 140

69.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$8.09 SAR 30.39

40.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 SAR 6.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$3.31 SAR 12.43

-3.63%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$0.83 SAR 3.11

195.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.24 SAR 0.90

633.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.89 SAR 7.09

-34.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.39 SAR 1.46

407.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.88 SAR 7.05

-19.15%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$3.54 SAR 13.30

14.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$7.30 SAR 27.40

85.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$8.09 SAR 30.36

3.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$12.99 SAR 48.76

40.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.10 SAR 7.90

9.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.72 SAR 6.45

1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.55 SAR 5.82

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$1.62 SAR 6.08

62.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.10 SAR 4.14

74.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.26 SAR 4.74

65.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.20 SAR 4.52

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.54 SAR 2.05

55.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$7.88 SAR 29.60

-13.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.10 SAR 4.15

118.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

$38.78 SAR 146

20.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$2.91 SAR 10.92

43.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.85 SAR 6.96

-38.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$13.96 SAR 52.4

26.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$0.59 SAR 2.22

293.22%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$42.1K SAR 158.2K

-16.15%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

96.32%

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

$170 €147

$99.9 SAR 375

70.55%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$23.70 SAR 89.0

-18.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$60.2 SAR 226

-44.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$43.92 SAR 165

9.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$38.59 SAR 145

-48.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$13.48 SAR 50.6

-26.41%

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

$717 €619

$346 SAR 1,298

107.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$6,243 SAR 23.4K

179.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$50.5 SAR 189

107.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$60.9 SAR 229

-22.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$95.4 SAR 358

8.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$101 SAR 379

22.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$585 SAR 2,196

186.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$356 SAR 1,337

256.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$377 SAR 1,415

692.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$568 SAR 2,133

250.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

$2,639 SAR 9,909

196.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

$1,273 SAR 4,779

265.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

$1,741 SAR 6,536

-9.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.47

-30.71%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $585 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $198 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 111% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,096 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Ar-rass. 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $585 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $346 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,096 in Ar-rass versus $2,316 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 111% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.