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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,087 in Qatif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,707 in Qatif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,328 in Qatif.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 110% more expensive than in Qatif, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Qatif is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.67

$3.44 SAR 12.94

357.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.1

$47.42 SAR 178

33.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.07

$8.05 SAR 30.22

29.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 SAR 6.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.53

$3.66 SAR 13.73

-20.49%

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

$2.29 €1.99

$0.77 SAR 2.91

197.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.26 SAR 0.97

476.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.44

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.65 SAR 6.20

-34.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.81 SAR 3.04

117.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.03 SAR 7.64

-16.26%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.82

$2.32 SAR 8.73

40.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.49

$6.03 SAR 22.64

119.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.68

$7.38 SAR 27.72

4.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.68

$9.67 SAR 36.30

63.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$2.12 SAR 7.95

7.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.48 SAR 5.56

12.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.44 SAR 5.42

40.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$0.75 SAR 2.83

229.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.26 SAR 4.74

42.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.35 SAR 5.05

53.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.10 SAR 4.13

79.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.55 SAR 2.08

50.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.73 SAR 10.27

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.69

$7.68 SAR 28.83

-14.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.61

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.10 SAR 4.14

106.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.21

$39.26 SAR 147

18.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.67

$3.12 SAR 11.72

35.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.63 SAR 6.13

-47.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.33

$13.22 SAR 49.64

42.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.65 SAR 2.43

210.77%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

54.90%

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

$39.6K €34.4K

$19.7K SAR 73.8K

101.70%

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

$148 €128

$104 SAR 392

41.84%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$37.20 SAR 140

-44.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.29

$59.6 SAR 224

-33.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.79

$94.2 SAR 354

-48.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.95

$56.9 SAR 214

-67.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.89

$15.36 SAR 57.7

-40.76%

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

$615 €533

$405 SAR 1,521

51.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$8,110 SAR 30.5K

100.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.1

$51.3 SAR 192

98.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.51

$50.9 SAR 191

-17.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.1

$91.5 SAR 343

0.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$85.8 SAR 322

42.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,398

$360 SAR 1,351

347.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,088

$281 SAR 1,054

346.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,663

$717 SAR 2,693

328.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,767

$486 SAR 1,826

318.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,724

$949 SAR 3,563

716.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,718

$796 SAR 2,990

438.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,390

$2,248 SAR 8,440

-28.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.33

-12.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Qatif: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $360 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 40% 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 $47.00 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $173 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 110% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,087 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $360 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $405 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,087 in Qatif versus $2,280 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 110% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.