Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Riffa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Riffa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,389 in Riffa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $2,061 in Riffa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,733 in Riffa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 60% more expensive than Riffa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Riffa 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$6.78 BHD 2.55

132.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$45.73 BHD 17.24

36.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$5.82 BHD 2.19

81.10%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$2.00 BHD 0.76

38.50%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$0.62 BHD 0.23

267.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.28 BHD 0.11

453.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$7.74 BHD 2.92

-54.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$10.74 BHD 4.05

-62.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.31 BHD 0.49

-17.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.32 BHD 0.50

34.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.37 BHD 0.89

-25.32%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$2.14 BHD 0.81

45.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$8.54 BHD 3.22

56.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$7.01 BHD 2.64

13.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$10.03 BHD 3.78

58.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.34 BHD 0.88

-2.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.87 BHD 0.71

-12.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.69 BHD 0.64

17.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.16 BHD 0.44

111.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.87 BHD 0.33

103.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.03 BHD 0.39

91.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.46 BHD 0.55

34.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.55 BHD 0.21

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$6.62 BHD 2.49

-1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$13.03 BHD 4.91

-55.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$3.52 BHD 1.33

-62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$3.21 BHD 1.21

-6.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.84 BHD 0.32

178.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$32.22 BHD 12.15

42.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$4.60 BHD 1.73

-7.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$3.88 BHD 1.46

-78.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$26.32 BHD 9.92

-28.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.39 BHD 0.15

430.77%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$27.0K BHD 10.2K

30.32%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$20.7K BHD 7,819

86.11%

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

$151 €130

$121 BHD 45.60

24.91%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$26.10 BHD 9.84

-19.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$38.04 BHD 14.34

3.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$78.8 BHD 29.69

-38.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$7.79 BHD 2.94

16.05%

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

$610 €525

$383 BHD 144

59.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$6,614 BHD 2,493

146.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$40.02 BHD 15.08

152.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$62.4 BHD 23.52

-34.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$66.5 BHD 25.08

39.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$39.96 BHD 15.06

196.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$1,172 BHD 442

36.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$540 BHD 204

129.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$2,128 BHD 802

41.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$918 BHD 346

124.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,372 BHD 517

18.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-23.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Riffa: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $1,172 in Riffa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $46.00 in Riffa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $238 per month, with Riffa 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 Riffa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Riffa differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,389 including rent). Riffa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 19% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $1,172 in Riffa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $383 in Riffa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,389 in Riffa versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Riffa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Riffa 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 Riffa 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 Riffa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.