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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,055 in Qatif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,678 in Qatif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,301 in Qatif.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 111% more expensive than Qatif, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Qatif is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$3.39 SAR 12.71

376.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$48.21 SAR 181

33.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.10 SAR 30.38

28.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.53 SAR 13.23

-21.53%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.77 SAR 2.89

192.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.26 SAR 0.97

503.85%

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

$1.65 SAR 6.18

-34.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.80 SAR 3.01

117.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.10 SAR 7.89

-17.14%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.33 SAR 8.73

36.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$6.20 SAR 23.26

116.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.16 SAR 26.83

11.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$10.02 SAR 37.58

60.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.14 SAR 8.01

6.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.54 SAR 5.76

11.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.44 SAR 5.38

34.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$0.72 SAR 2.68

252.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.28 SAR 4.78

42.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.33 SAR 4.99

53.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.11 SAR 4.15

78.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.51 SAR 1.90

66.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.48

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$7.51 SAR 28.17

-8.79%

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

$1.09 SAR 4.08

109.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$39.91 SAR 150

17.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$3.12 SAR 11.71

30.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.57 SAR 5.88

-47.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$13.41 SAR 50.3

36.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$0.63 SAR 2.37

219.05%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$22.5K SAR 84.3K

56.91%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$19.6K SAR 73.5K

96.28%

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

$145 €124

$103 SAR 387

40.82%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$37.05 SAR 139

-43.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$58.9 SAR 221

-32.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$95.3 SAR 357

-48.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$57.2 SAR 214

-67.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$15.22 SAR 57.1

-40.47%

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

$607 €519

$392 SAR 1,470

54.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$8,106 SAR 30.4K

101.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$52.4 SAR 196

99.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$50.8 SAR 190

-19.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$91.5 SAR 343

2.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$85.4 SAR 320

38.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$356 SAR 1,333

351.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$282 SAR 1,058

337.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$710 SAR 2,661

329.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$495 SAR 1,855

315.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$943 SAR 3,537

717.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$776 SAR 2,910

449.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,869 SAR 7,009

-15.25%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Qatif: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $356 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $48.00 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 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 111% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,055 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Qatif earns 18% less. 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $356 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $392 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,055 in Qatif versus $2,227 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 111% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.