Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Muscat Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Muscat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,331 in Muscat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,982 in Muscat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,633 in Muscat.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 66% more expensive than Muscat, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Muscat is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.29 OMR 2.04

200.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$26.39 OMR 10.16

145.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.84 OMR 3.02

34.06%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.95 OMR 1.90

-42.02%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.02 OMR 0.39

119.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.34 OMR 0.13

341.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$12.16 OMR 4.68

-71.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$11.87 OMR 4.57

-67.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.00 OMR 0.77

-43.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.20 OMR 0.46

45.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.70 OMR 0.65

3.53%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.45 OMR 0.94

31.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$3.84 OMR 1.48

251.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.16 OMR 1.98

53.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$8.46 OMR 3.26

87.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.54 OMR 0.98

-9.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.72 OMR 0.66

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.77 OMR 0.68

13.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.13 OMR 0.44

117.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.00 OMR 0.38

84.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.02 OMR 0.39

96.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.03 OMR 0.40

87.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.56 OMR 0.22

41.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.22 OMR 2.39

6.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$15.55 OMR 5.99

-63.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$4.25 OMR 1.64

-67.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$7.90 OMR 3.04

-62.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.27 OMR 0.49

86.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$62.3 OMR 23.99

-26.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.16 OMR 1.22

35.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.80 OMR 0.31

2.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$10.34 OMR 3.98

76.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.60 OMR 0.23

243.33%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$22.8K OMR 8,778

50.35%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$21.8K OMR 8,405

79.98%

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

$148 €127

$107 OMR 41.32

37.77%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$40.60 OMR 15.63

-49.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$70.5 OMR 27.13

-43.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$47.24 OMR 18.19

1.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$22.99 OMR 8.85

-17.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$10.47 OMR 4.03

-12.32%

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

$614 €528

$192 OMR 74.1

219.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$9,757 OMR 3,756

64.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$50.7 OMR 19.53

106.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$39.51 OMR 15.21

6.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$79.4 OMR 30.56

18.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$90.0 OMR 34.66

32.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$619 OMR 238

163.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$410 OMR 158

205.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,222 OMR 470

148.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$730 OMR 281

176.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,666 OMR 1,026

192.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,552 OMR 597

175.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,654 OMR 637

-3.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.15

-26.02%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Muscat: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $619 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $26.00 in Muscat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $231 per month, with Muscat 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 Muscat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Muscat differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,331 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Muscat earns 3% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $619 in Muscat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $192 in Muscat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,331 in Muscat versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Muscat but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Muscat 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 Muscat 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 Muscat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.