Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mahboula Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mahboula

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,237 in Mahboula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,003 in Mahboula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,768 in Mahboula.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 79% more expensive than Mahboula, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Mahboula is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$6.35 KWD 1.95

150.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$26.37 KWD 8.09

145.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.93 KWD 2.74

17.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 KWD 0.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 KWD 1.02

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$6.09 KWD 1.87

-52.87%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.51 KWD 0.16

339.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.15 KWD 0.05

900.00%

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

$1.61 KWD 0.49

-29.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.99 KWD 0.30

76.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.70 KWD 0.52

3.53%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.28 KWD 0.39

151.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$5.11 KWD 1.57

163.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.61 KWD 2.03

19.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$10.29 KWD 3.16

54.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.44 KWD 0.75

-5.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.98 KWD 0.61

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.79 KWD 0.55

12.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.15 KWD 0.35

113.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.26 KWD 0.39

46.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.17 KWD 0.36

70.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.62 KWD 0.50

19.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.46 KWD 0.14

71.74%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.24 KWD 1.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$1.65 KWD 0.51

300.61%

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

$0.84 KWD 0.26

182.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$49.37 KWD 15.14

-7.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.68 KWD 0.51

155.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.66 KWD 0.51

-50.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$5.68 KWD 1.74

222.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.16 KWD 0.05

1187.50%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$19.7K KWD 6,055

73.64%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$17.7K KWD 5,439

121.56%

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

$148 €127

$61.8 KWD 18.95

139.31%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$16.14 KWD 4.95

27.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$25.77 KWD 7.90

53.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$95.6 KWD 29.33

-49.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$46.51 KWD 14.26

-59.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$11.48 KWD 3.52

-20.03%

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

$614 €528

$385 KWD 118

59.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,504 KWD 1,995

146.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$41.85 KWD 12.83

150.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$42.12 KWD 12.92

-0.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$88.9 KWD 27.27

5.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$80.5 KWD 24.70

48.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$731 KWD 224

122.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$503 KWD 154

149.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,781 KWD 546

70.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,128 KWD 346

79.15%

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

$1,282 KWD 393

25.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.14

-46.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mahboula: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $731 in Mahboula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 25% 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 $26.00 in Mahboula for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $172 per month, with Mahboula 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 Mahboula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mahboula differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,237 including rent). Mahboula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 25% 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 $731 in Mahboula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $385 in Mahboula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,237 in Mahboula versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mahboula but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mahboula 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 Mahboula 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 Mahboula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.