Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Qairawan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Qairawan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,342 in Qairawan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,244 in Qairawan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $3,146 in Qairawan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 70% more expensive than in Qairawan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Qairawan 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$7.98 KWD 2.46

97.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$59.0 KWD 18.15

7.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$8.80 KWD 2.71

18.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 KWD 1.06

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$5.27 KWD 1.62

-44.78%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.64 KWD 0.20

257.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.34 KWD 0.10

341.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.43 KWD 0.44

-24.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.06 KWD 0.33

66.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.72 KWD 0.53

-1.16%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.98 KWD 0.61

64.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$4.60 KWD 1.42

188.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.35 KWD 1.95

21.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$9.83 KWD 3.02

60.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.30 KWD 0.71

-0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.59 KWD 0.49

4.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.50 KWD 0.46

34.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.42 KWD 0.44

73.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.29 KWD 0.40

38.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.09 KWD 0.34

89.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.67 KWD 0.51

17.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.46 KWD 0.14

80.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.58 KWD 1.10

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$3.03 KWD 0.93

116.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.82 KWD 0.25

176.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$44.08 KWD 13.56

5.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.35 KWD 1.03

26.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$3.18 KWD 0.98

-73.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$16.13 KWD 4.96

16.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.33 KWD 0.10

512.12%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$20.2K KWD 6,208

73.23%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$19.2K KWD 5,907

106.43%

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

$148 €128

$63.3 KWD 19.47

133.77%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$18.05 KWD 5.55

13.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$25.83 KWD 7.95

53.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$94.7 KWD 29.12

-49.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$45.63 KWD 14.04

-59.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$11.23 KWD 3.46

-18.97%

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

$615 €532

$286 KWD 88.0

114.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,031 KWD 1,855

170.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$42.22 KWD 12.99

140.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$43.23 KWD 13.30

-2.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$88.8 KWD 27.33

3.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$82.1 KWD 25.24

48.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$792 KWD 243

103.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$598 KWD 184

109.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,557 KWD 479

97.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$1,278 KWD 393

59.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Qairawan: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $792 in Qairawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $59.0 in Qairawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $167 per month, with Qairawan 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 Qairawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Qairawan differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,342 including rent). Qairawan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $2,013 in Qairawan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $792 in Qairawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $286 in Qairawan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,342 in Qairawan versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qairawan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Qairawan 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 Qairawan 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 Qairawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.