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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,356 in Qairawan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,202 in Qairawan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,048 in Qairawan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 64% more expensive than Qairawan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Qairawan 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$7.64 KWD 2.35

111.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$58.4 KWD 17.91

10.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.46 KWD 2.60

22.70%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 KWD 0.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 KWD 1.10

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$5.38 KWD 1.65

-48.51%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.62 KWD 0.19

262.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.33 KWD 0.10

375.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.44 KWD 0.44

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.06 KWD 0.33

64.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.66 KWD 0.51

4.82%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.97 KWD 0.60

61.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$4.46 KWD 1.37

201.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.59 KWD 2.02

21.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$9.85 KWD 3.02

63.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.27 KWD 0.70

0.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.68 KWD 0.52

2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.57 KWD 0.48

23.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.40 KWD 0.43

81.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.23 KWD 0.38

48.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.14 KWD 0.35

78.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.66 KWD 0.51

19.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.42 KWD 0.13

102.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.86 KWD 0.88

139.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.88 KWD 0.27

159.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$43.78 KWD 13.44

6.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$3.26 KWD 1.00

25.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.26 KWD 1.00

-74.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$16.14 KWD 4.95

13.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$0.36 KWD 0.11

458.33%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$20.2K KWD 6,216

74.17%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$19.4K KWD 5,949

98.63%

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

$145 €124

$63.3 KWD 19.44

129.59%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$17.95 KWD 5.51

16.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$25.75 KWD 7.91

55.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$93.5 KWD 28.69

-47.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$47.23 KWD 14.50

-60.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$11.22 KWD 3.44

-19.25%

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

$607 €519

$288 KWD 88.3

110.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$6,052 KWD 1,858

169.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$42.80 KWD 13.14

144.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$43.07 KWD 13.22

-4.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$88.8 KWD 27.25

5.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$82.7 KWD 25.38

43.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$782 KWD 240

105.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$605 KWD 186

104.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,555 KWD 477

95.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$1,314 KWD 403

56.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Qairawan: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $782 in Qairawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $58.0 in Qairawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $168 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 64% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,356 including rent). Qairawan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $2,033 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $782 in Qairawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $288 in Qairawan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,356 in Qairawan versus $2,227 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 64% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.