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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,338 in Riffa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,021 in Riffa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,704 in Riffa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 70% more expensive than in Riffa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Riffa 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$6.81 BHD 2.57

131.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$46.94 BHD 17.69

35.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$5.84 BHD 2.20

78.94%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.98 BHD 0.75

46.97%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.57 BHD 0.22

301.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.26 BHD 0.10

476.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$7.84 BHD 2.96

-54.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$10.57 BHD 3.98

-62.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.37 BHD 0.52

-21.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.29 BHD 0.49

36.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.38 BHD 0.90

-28.57%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.17 BHD 0.82

49.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$8.55 BHD 3.22

54.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.78 BHD 2.55

13.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$10.33 BHD 3.89

52.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.44 BHD 0.92

-6.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.81 BHD 0.68

-8.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.68 BHD 0.63

20.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.17 BHD 0.44

111.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.95 BHD 0.36

88.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.03 BHD 0.39

100.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.47 BHD 0.55

34.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.52 BHD 0.19

59.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$6.66 BHD 2.51

-1.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$13.03 BHD 4.91

-57.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$3.43 BHD 1.29

-61.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$3.19 BHD 1.20

-5.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.84 BHD 0.31

170.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$31.31 BHD 11.80

48.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$4.72 BHD 1.78

-10.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$4.02 BHD 1.52

-78.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$26.40 BHD 9.95

-28.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.38 BHD 0.14

431.58%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$26.3K BHD 9,915

32.90%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$21.2K BHD 7,972

87.43%

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

$148 €128

$120 BHD 45.37

22.90%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$26.57 BHD 10.02

-22.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$39.18 BHD 14.77

0.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$79.9 BHD 30.10

-39.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$8.07 BHD 3.04

12.76%

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

$615 €532

$390 BHD 147

57.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,512 BHD 2,454

150.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$39.93 BHD 15.05

154.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$62.8 BHD 23.68

-33.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$67.4 BHD 25.42

36.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$39.15 BHD 14.76

211.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$1,169 BHD 441

37.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$529 BHD 199

137.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$2,144 BHD 808

43.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$942 BHD 355

116.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,398 BHD 527

14.54%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Riffa: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $1,169 in Riffa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 15% 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 $47.00 in Riffa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 70% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,338 including rent). Riffa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $1,169 in Riffa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $390 in Riffa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,338 in Riffa versus $2,280 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 70% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.