Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Madinat Hamad Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Madinat Hamad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,180 in Madinat Hamad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,930 in Madinat Hamad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,680 in Madinat Hamad.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 94% more expensive than in Madinat Hamad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Madinat Hamad is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$2.67 BHD 1.01

506.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$53.5 BHD 20.16

18.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.50 BHD 2.83

37.60%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.61 BHD 0.98

8.43%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.82 BHD 0.31

179.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.39 BHD 0.15

305.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$7.77 BHD 2.93

-56.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$10.51 BHD 3.96

-61.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.57 BHD 0.59

-30.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.08 BHD 0.41

62.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.37 BHD 0.89

-25.74%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.98 BHD 0.75

60.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.66 BHD 3.26

52.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$7.62 BHD 2.87

4.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$10.23 BHD 3.86

51.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.16 BHD 0.81

9.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.61 BHD 0.61

6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.67 BHD 0.63

20.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.21 BHD 0.46

100.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.94 BHD 0.35

87.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.04 BHD 0.39

95.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.51 BHD 0.57

27.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.55 BHD 0.21

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.70 BHD 2.52

-1.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$18.23 BHD 6.87

-69.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$3.36 BHD 1.27

-60.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.27 BHD 1.23

-9.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.68 BHD 0.26

235.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$34.69 BHD 13.07

32.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.50 BHD 1.70

-6.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$3.41 BHD 1.29

-76.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$26.27 BHD 9.90

-29.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.39 BHD 0.15

433.33%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$37.7K BHD 14.2K

-8.02%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$20.4K BHD 7,684

92.07%

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

$148 €130

$123 BHD 46.19

20.81%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$23.99 BHD 9.04

-14.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$18.31 BHD 6.90

116.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$118 BHD 44.31

-59.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$52.6 BHD 19.81

-64.62%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$5.38 BHD 2.03

71.38%

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

$616 €539

$391 BHD 147

57.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,071 BHD 3,419

81.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$46.98 BHD 17.71

118.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$62.3 BHD 23.48

-33.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$82.1 BHD 30.96

15.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$90.0 BHD 33.92

35.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$397 BHD 150

310.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$322 BHD 122

282.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$803 BHD 303

285.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$660 BHD 249

207.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$657 BHD 248

144.70%

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 Madinat Hamad: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $397 in Madinat Hamad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 145% 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 $53.0 in Madinat Hamad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $249 per month, with Madinat Hamad 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 Madinat Hamad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Madinat Hamad differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,180 including rent). Madinat Hamad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 145% 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 $397 in Madinat Hamad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $391 in Madinat Hamad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,180 in Madinat Hamad versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Madinat Hamad but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Madinat Hamad 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 Madinat Hamad 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 Madinat Hamad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.