Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Qatif Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Qatif

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,080 in Qatif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,638 in Qatif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,196 in Qatif.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 113% more expensive than in Qatif, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Qatif is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$3.56 SAR 13.38

394.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$35.17 SAR 132

78.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$6.67 SAR 25.07

73.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SAR 8.27

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.95 SAR 11.07

5.08%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.73 SAR 2.73

241.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.15 SAR 0.58

1060.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.76 SAR 6.61

-34.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.94 SAR 3.53

103.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.95 SAR 7.31

-23.08%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.11 SAR 7.93

88.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$5.70 SAR 21.42

133.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$7.80 SAR 29.31

2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$12.98 SAR 48.76

38.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.18 SAR 8.20

7.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.72 SAR 6.45

1.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.59 SAR 5.96

16.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$0.64 SAR 2.39

298.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.12 SAR 4.21

64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.10 SAR 4.12

90.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.91 SAR 3.41

63.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.50 SAR 1.89

64.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.63 SAR 9.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SAR 8.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$6.62 SAR 24.85

7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.04 SAR 3.91

126.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$36.12 SAR 136

29.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.36 SAR 8.86

72.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.51 SAR 1.92

123.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$13.10 SAR 49.20

30.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.61 SAR 2.30

278.69%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$35.8K SAR 134.6K

-4.77%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$20.8K SAR 78.2K

98.71%

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

$169 €147

$103 SAR 388

63.24%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$33.42 SAR 126

-42.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$58.3 SAR 219

-42.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$82.7 SAR 311

-40.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$37.55 SAR 141

-48.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$13.21 SAR 49.60

-27.55%

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

$696 €607

$270 SAR 1,015

157.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,795 SAR 29.3K

122.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$31.48 SAR 118

234.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$20.90 SAR 78.5

128.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$94.6 SAR 355

6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$90.4 SAR 340

37.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$574 SAR 2,157

189.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$346 SAR 1,298

260.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$873 SAR 3,281

239.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$547 SAR 2,055

274.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$951 SAR 3,573

723.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$783 SAR 2,942

469.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$2,249 SAR 8,448

-27.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.5

-31.27%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Qatif: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $574 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 38% 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 $35.00 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $184 per month, with Qatif 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 Qatif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Qatif differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,080 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Qatif. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $574 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $270 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,080 in Qatif versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qatif but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Qatif 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 Qatif 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 Qatif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.