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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,525 in Muscat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,272 in Muscat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,019 in Muscat.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 52% more expensive than in Muscat, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Muscat 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$5.34 OMR 2.06

223.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$34.00 OMR 13.09

86.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$7.74 OMR 2.98

47.16%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$4.73 OMR 1.82

-32.56%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.86 OMR 0.33

184.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.29 OMR 0.11

506.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$13.07 OMR 5.03

-72.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$12.79 OMR 4.92

-73.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$2.25 OMR 0.87

-44.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.25 OMR 0.48

58.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.90 OMR 0.73

-20.00%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.94 OMR 1.13

37.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$7.65 OMR 2.94

76.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$6.57 OMR 2.53

27.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$10.54 OMR 4.06

73.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.41 OMR 1.31

-32.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.00 OMR 0.77

-13.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.32 OMR 0.89

-19.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.20 OMR 0.46

119.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.22 OMR 0.47

57.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.29 OMR 0.50

62.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.80 OMR 0.69

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.67 OMR 0.26

25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$6.30 OMR 2.43

7.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$15.43 OMR 5.94

-62.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$5.68 OMR 2.19

-75.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$8.72 OMR 3.36

-74.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.29 OMR 0.49

86.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$76.7 OMR 29.52

-38.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$3.21 OMR 1.24

29.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.59 OMR 1.00

-55.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$7.82 OMR 3.01

126.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$0.61 OMR 0.23

280.33%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$25.1K OMR 9,665

40.76%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$22.2K OMR 8,564

86.31%

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

$170 €146

$170 OMR 65.5

0.20%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$30.94 OMR 11.91

-37.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$69.9 OMR 26.92

-51.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$62.7 OMR 24.14

-23.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$29.20 OMR 11.24

-31.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$10.34 OMR 3.98

-4.06%

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

$717 €617

$289 OMR 111

148.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$10.7K OMR 4,110

63.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$55.7 OMR 21.42

88.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$43.19 OMR 16.63

8.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$92.0 OMR 35.43

12.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$96.0 OMR 36.95

29.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$673 OMR 259

149.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$455 OMR 175

179.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,366 OMR 526

118.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$857 OMR 330

132.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$2,835 OMR 1,092

176.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,595 OMR 614

192.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$1,660 OMR 639

-4.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.25

-27.81%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Muscat: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $673 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Muscat. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $284, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 52% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,525 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Muscat. 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $673 in Muscat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $289 in Muscat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,525 in Muscat versus $2,316 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 52% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.