Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mecca Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mecca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,065 in Mecca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,917 in Mecca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,769 in Mecca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 107% more expensive than Mecca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Mecca is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$4.89 SAR 18.34

225.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$39.53 SAR 148

63.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$9.39 SAR 35.23

11.93%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 SAR 6.00

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.16 SAR 11.87

-9.18%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.87 SAR 3.25

157.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.29 SAR 1.07

417.24%

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

$1.64 SAR 6.16

-30.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.89 SAR 3.34

96.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.24 SAR 8.41

-21.43%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.98 SAR 11.19

8.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.04 SAR 26.43

91.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.39 SAR 31.48

-5.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$13.38 SAR 50.2

18.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.31 SAR 8.69

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.61 SAR 6.06

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.77 SAR 6.65

13.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.04 SAR 7.66

20.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.26 SAR 4.73

46.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.24 SAR 4.67

61.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.06 SAR 3.96

82.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.68 SAR 2.56

16.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.04 SAR 15.18

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SAR 7.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$8.01 SAR 30.06

-17.48%

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

$1.31 SAR 4.92

80.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$40.59 SAR 152

12.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.44 SAR 9.14

75.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.83 SAR 6.89

-55.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$10.59 SAR 39.74

72.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.60 SAR 2.26

243.33%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.8K SAR 100.4K

28.11%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$21.4K SAR 80.5K

83.25%

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

$148 €127

$77.7 SAR 291

90.43%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$35.25 SAR 132

-41.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$65.8 SAR 247

-39.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$87.6 SAR 329

-45.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$34.97 SAR 131

-45.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$18.59 SAR 69.8

-50.62%

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

$614 €528

$404 SAR 1,517

51.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,604 SAR 17.3K

248.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$22.51 SAR 84.5

364.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$62.5 SAR 235

-32.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$58.8 SAR 221

59.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$51.1 SAR 192

134.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$231 SAR 867

604.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$282 SAR 1,058

345.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$669 SAR 2,509

353.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,026 SAR 3,851

96.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$6,512 SAR 24.4K

19.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,238 SAR 8,399

90.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,075 SAR 4,034

49.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.5

-30.73%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mecca: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $231 in Mecca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 49% 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 $40.00 in Mecca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $207 per month, with Mecca 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 Mecca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mecca differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,065 including rent). Mecca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 49% 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 $231 in Mecca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $404 in Mecca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,065 in Mecca versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mecca but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mecca 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 Mecca 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 Mecca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.