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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,322 in Muscat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,928 in Muscat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,533 in Muscat.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 73% more expensive than in Muscat, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Muscat is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$5.29 OMR 2.04

206.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$25.50 OMR 9.82

148.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.99 OMR 3.08

29.16%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$4.86 OMR 1.87

-41.77%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.01 OMR 0.39

126.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.34 OMR 0.13

364.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$12.41 OMR 4.78

-72.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$11.66 OMR 4.49

-65.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.98 OMR 0.76

-44.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.23 OMR 0.47

42.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.70 OMR 0.66

3.53%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.42 OMR 0.93

30.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$3.71 OMR 1.43

255.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$4.89 OMR 1.88

62.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$8.27 OMR 3.18

87.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.51 OMR 0.97

-5.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.72 OMR 0.66

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.78 OMR 0.69

12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.14 OMR 0.44

113.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.02 OMR 0.39

72.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.98 OMR 0.38

107.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.09 OMR 0.42

76.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.52 OMR 0.20

63.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.28 OMR 2.42

4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$15.71 OMR 6.05

-64.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$4.38 OMR 1.68

-69.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$8.02 OMR 3.09

-62.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.27 OMR 0.49

79.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$63.0 OMR 24.26

-27.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.16 OMR 1.22

33.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.80 OMR 0.31

1.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$10.20 OMR 3.92

80.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.64 OMR 0.25

225.00%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$22.5K OMR 8,654

54.19%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$21.5K OMR 8,279

82.05%

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

$148 €130

$109 OMR 41.78

36.38%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$40.41 OMR 15.55

-49.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$68.5 OMR 26.38

-42.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$48.75 OMR 18.76

-1.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$23.23 OMR 8.94

-19.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$10.28 OMR 3.96

-10.31%

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

$616 €539

$190 OMR 73.0

224.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$10.0K OMR 3,861

63.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$51.0 OMR 19.62

101.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$39.14 OMR 15.07

6.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$77.6 OMR 29.87

22.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$87.6 OMR 33.72

39.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$616 OMR 237

165.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$407 OMR 157

202.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,243 OMR 478

149.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$714 OMR 275

184.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,866 OMR 1,103

173.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,593 OMR 613

175.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,576 OMR 607

1.96%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Muscat: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $616 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $26.00 in Muscat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $230 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 73% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,322 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $616 in Muscat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $190 in Muscat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,322 in Muscat versus $2,291 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 73% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.