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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,379 in Riffa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,056 in Riffa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,733 in Riffa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 62% more expensive than Riffa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Riffa 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.81

$6.53 BHD 2.45

147.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.1

$46.83 BHD 17.61

37.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.86

$5.84 BHD 2.19

77.74%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.94 BHD 0.73

42.78%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.62 BHD 0.23

262.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.34

$0.26 BHD 0.10

503.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.98

$7.83 BHD 2.94

-55.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.42

$10.69 BHD 4.02

-62.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.32 BHD 0.50

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.35 BHD 0.51

28.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.48

$2.40 BHD 0.90

-27.50%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.71

$2.16 BHD 0.81

47.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.47

$8.73 BHD 3.28

53.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.83

$7.02 BHD 2.64

13.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.74

$10.12 BHD 3.80

58.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.37 BHD 0.89

-3.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.91 BHD 0.72

-9.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.77 BHD 0.66

9.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$1.23 BHD 0.46

106.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$0.87 BHD 0.33

110.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$1.04 BHD 0.39

96.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.51 BHD 0.57

31.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.54 BHD 0.20

57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.85

$6.52 BHD 2.45

5.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.93

$13.18 BHD 4.95

-56.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$3.33 BHD 1.25

-58.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.15 BHD 1.19

-7.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.78 BHD 0.29

192.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.00

$32.06 BHD 12.06

46.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.48

$4.77 BHD 1.79

-14.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.87 BHD 1.45

-78.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.60

$26.01 BHD 9.78

-29.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$0.38 BHD 0.14

428.95%

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

$35.3K €30.1K

$26.6K BHD 10.0K

32.34%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$20.5K BHD 7,722

87.40%

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

$145 €124

$120 BHD 45.26

20.79%

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

$20.96 €17.90

$26.25 BHD 9.87

-20.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.21

$39.19 BHD 14.73

2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.66

$80.7 BHD 30.36

-39.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.97

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.74

$8.07 BHD 3.03

12.27%

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

$607 €518

$395 BHD 149

53.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €13.9K

$6,638 BHD 2,496

146.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.4

$40.23 BHD 15.13

160.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €34.97

$63.5 BHD 23.89

-35.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €79.9

$66.1 BHD 24.87

41.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$39.76 BHD 14.95

198.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,370

$1,173 BHD 441

36.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,055

$535 BHD 201

130.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,601

$2,125 BHD 799

43.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,756

$937 BHD 352

119.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,583

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,644

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,353

$1,410 BHD 530

12.38%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Riffa: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $1,173 in Riffa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 12% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Riffa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $240 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 62% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,379 including rent). Riffa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 12% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $1,173 in Riffa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $395 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 $1,379 in Riffa versus $2,227 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 62% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.