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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,240 in Riffa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,920 in Riffa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,600 in Riffa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 85% more expensive than in Riffa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Riffa is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$6.57 BHD 2.47

167.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$40.07 BHD 15.10

56.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$6.10 BHD 2.30

89.84%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.92 BHD 1.48

-20.92%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.63 BHD 0.24

295.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.26 BHD 0.10

569.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$6.75 BHD 2.54

-48.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$8.08 BHD 3.05

-57.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.46 BHD 0.55

-21.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.68 BHD 0.26

180.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.89 BHD 0.71

-20.63%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.26 BHD 0.85

76.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$7.92 BHD 2.98

67.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$5.96 BHD 2.25

34.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$8.66 BHD 3.27

108.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.33 BHD 0.88

0.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.69 BHD 0.64

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.85 BHD 0.70

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.03 BHD 0.39

147.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.01 BHD 0.38

82.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.68 BHD 0.26

208.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.51 BHD 0.19

192.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.51 BHD 0.19

60.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$5.18 BHD 1.95

37.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$13.16 BHD 4.96

-55.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.83 BHD 0.69

-28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.60 BHD 0.98

-18.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.81 BHD 0.31

191.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$35.93 BHD 13.54

29.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$5.33 BHD 2.01

-23.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$3.47 BHD 1.31

-67.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$10.65 BHD 4.01

60.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.47 BHD 0.18

391.49%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$22.4K BHD 8,451

52.21%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$20.8K BHD 7,857

98.47%

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

$169 €147

$131 BHD 49.33

28.77%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$24.04 BHD 9.06

-19.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$35.17 BHD 13.25

-4.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$72.9 BHD 27.48

-33.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$13.08 BHD 4.93

48.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$10.48 BHD 3.95

-8.68%

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

$696 €607

$481 BHD 181

44.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$5,745 BHD 2,165

202.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$29.48 BHD 11.11

257.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$21.48 BHD 8.10

122.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$66.4 BHD 25.02

51.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$39.07 BHD 14.72

218.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$910 BHD 343

82.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$424 BHD 160

193.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,519 BHD 572

95.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$852 BHD 321

140.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,412 BHD 532

15.53%

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 Riffa: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $910 in Riffa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 16% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $40.00 in Riffa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $205 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 85% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,240 including rent). Riffa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $910 in Riffa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $481 in Riffa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,240 in Riffa versus $2,296 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 85% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.