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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,166 in Madinat Hamad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,927 in Madinat Hamad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,689 in Madinat Hamad.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 90% more expensive than Madinat Hamad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Madinat Hamad is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$2.58 BHD 0.97

516.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$52.5 BHD 19.78

23.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.41 BHD 2.79

41.84%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.72 BHD 1.02

5.51%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.81 BHD 0.31

176.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.40 BHD 0.15

275.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$7.93 BHD 2.99

-55.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$10.64 BHD 4.01

-63.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.55 BHD 0.59

-26.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.03 BHD 0.39

69.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.32 BHD 0.87

-24.14%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.06 BHD 0.78

56.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.56 BHD 3.23

57.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.83 BHD 2.95

1.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$10.24 BHD 3.86

54.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.07 BHD 0.78

11.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.56 BHD 0.59

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.77 BHD 0.67

13.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.23 BHD 0.46

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.89 BHD 0.33

106.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.05 BHD 0.39

90.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.49 BHD 0.56

29.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.55 BHD 0.21

43.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.66 BHD 2.51

-0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$18.86 BHD 7.11

-69.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$3.38 BHD 1.28

-59.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.17 BHD 1.19

-6.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.64 BHD 0.24

270.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$34.88 BHD 13.15

30.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.67 BHD 1.76

-8.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.38 BHD 1.27

-75.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$26.43 BHD 9.97

-30.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.38 BHD 0.14

442.11%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$36.4K BHD 13.7K

-5.82%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$20.4K BHD 7,686

92.73%

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

$148 €127

$123 BHD 46.28

20.46%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$24.22 BHD 9.13

-15.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$18.26 BHD 6.88

116.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$121 BHD 45.57

-60.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$53.8 BHD 20.29

-64.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.31 BHD 2.00

72.88%

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

$614 €528

$390 BHD 147

57.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$9,117 BHD 3,437

76.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$46.67 BHD 17.59

124.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$62.8 BHD 23.69

-33.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$84.5 BHD 31.84

11.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$88.6 BHD 33.41

35.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$404 BHD 152

302.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$314 BHD 119

299.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$805 BHD 304

276.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$658 BHD 248

207.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$662 BHD 250

142.13%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Madinat Hamad: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $404 in Madinat Hamad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 142% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $52.0 in Madinat Hamad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $250 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 90% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,166 including rent). Madinat Hamad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 142% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $404 in Madinat Hamad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $390 in Madinat Hamad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,166 in Madinat Hamad versus $2,210 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 90% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.