Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Arar

For one person, living is cheaper in Arar: $1,185 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Arar, Saudi Arabia
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Arar
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,185
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Arar

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

A single person spends $2,206 per month in Lisbon vs $1,185 in Arar, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Arar $1,185

A couple spends around $3,276 per month in Lisbon vs $1,820 in Arar, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Arar $1,820

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $2,454 in Arar, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Arar $2,454

Lisbon costs about 86% more than Arar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 63% above the global median, while Arar is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Arar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.04
$7.45 SAR 27.97
126.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.5
$34.32 SAR 129
77.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.80
$6.87 SAR 25.77
59.83%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.75 SAR 6.58
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.38 SAR 8.92
-
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.72
$3.04 SAR 11.39
0.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.04
$0.81 SAR 3.04
181.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.50
$0.24 SAR 0.91
600.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.07
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.48
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Arar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.53 SAR 5.76
-24.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.39 SAR 5.22
35.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$2.26 SAR 8.47
-33.63%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.67
$2.28 SAR 8.54
80.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.60
$7.95 SAR 29.85
63.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.18
$8.74 SAR 32.81
-8.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.96
$13.35 SAR 50.1
34.01%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.03
$2.43 SAR 9.12
-6.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.78 SAR 6.67
-2.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.73 SAR 6.50
5.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.40
$1.39 SAR 5.22
93.53%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.58
$1.33 SAR 4.98
33.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.43 SAR 5.38
35.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.35 SAR 5.06
8.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$0.54 SAR 2.02
40.74%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$3.18 SAR 11.93
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.86 SAR 6.97
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.92 SAR 7.21
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.94
$7.47 SAR 28.04
-10.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.03
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Arar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.05
$1.12 SAR 4.21
105.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.26
$41.17 SAR 155
6.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.55
$2.75 SAR 10.31
44.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$1.48 SAR 5.57
-56.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.88
$13.41 SAR 50.3
41.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$0.68 SAR 2.56
235.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.8K
$29.6K SAR 111.2K
12.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$23.2K SAR 87.2K
65.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Arar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €141
$111 SAR 416
42.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.64
$28.89 SAR 108
-39.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.82
$60.5 SAR 227
-48.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Arar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.82
$73.8 SAR 277
-39.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.93
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.54
$13.55 SAR 50.9
-29.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Arar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €601
$394 SAR 1,481
70.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.7K
$10.5K SAR 39.4K
78.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Arar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.2
$39.59 SAR 149
158.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €40.94
$50.1 SAR 188
-8.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.2
$110 SAR 413
-7.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$75.1 SAR 282
62.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Arar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,463
$627 SAR 2,355
161.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,059
$373 SAR 1,400
218.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,519
$812 SAR 3,048
247.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,800
$701 SAR 2,632
187.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €6,989
$1,731 SAR 6,496
352.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,193
$1,161 SAR 4,356
305.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Arar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,505
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
5.54
-31.05%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Arar: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Arar
$373 68.6% $814
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Arar
$210 23.4% $64
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Arar
$121 50.7% $124
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Arar
$200 3.2% $6.7
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Arar
$124 26.2% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Arar
$101 58.2% $37
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Arar
$56 7.6% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,641 in Lisbon versus $627 in Arar. 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 $61 in Lisbon versus $34 in Arar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $210 – making Arar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇸🇦 Arar
🕒 Local time
10:09 10:09 AM
13:09 1:09 PM
3 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
167,057
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.238 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Arar 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Arar

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
Lisbon vs Arar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lisbon and in Arar compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon, $1,185 in Arar – Arar comes out roughly 46% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Arar?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,309 per month in Lisbon and $1,777 in Arar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lisbon and Arar?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Arar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $627 there versus $1,641 in Lisbon.
How do commuting costs compare in Lisbon and in Arar?
Public transport costs about 6% less in Arar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Arar?
Kindergarten costs $674 per month in Lisbon and $394 in Arar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arar, where all-in costs run around $1,185, than in Lisbon at $2,206. In Arar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Lisbon or Arar?
Families tend to lean toward Arar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Lisbon or Arar safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Arar?
For expats, Arar is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 46% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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