Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Riyadh Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Riyadh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,758 in Riyadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,475 in Riyadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,192 in Riyadh.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 30% more expensive than in Riyadh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Riyadh 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$8.19 SAR 30.75

97.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$53.9 SAR 202

17.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$7.97 SAR 29.91

29.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SAR 8.68

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.98 SAR 14.93

-28.89%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.77 SAR 2.88

197.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.31 SAR 1.17

409.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.69 SAR 6.34

-35.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.33 SAR 4.98

31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.36 SAR 8.85

-25.42%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.69 SAR 10.10

17.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$8.48 SAR 31.84

55.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$9.90 SAR 37.17

-19.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$14.50 SAR 54.4

7.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.32 SAR 8.73

2.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.74 SAR 6.52

-1.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.88 SAR 7.06

6.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.59 SAR 5.96

52.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.25 SAR 4.68

40.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.46 SAR 5.49

39.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.43 SAR 5.38

34.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.52 SAR 1.94

63.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.87 SAR 29.54

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 SAR 6.70

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SAR 9.06

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$7.41 SAR 27.83

-11.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.08 SAR 4.07

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$36.88 SAR 138

24.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.22 SAR 12.09

31.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.84 SAR 6.93

-55.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$13.19 SAR 49.53

39.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.64 SAR 2.39

225.00%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$35.1K SAR 131.7K

-1.18%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$23.4K SAR 88.0K

67.02%

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

$148 €130

$106 SAR 398

39.84%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$35.14 SAR 132

-41.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$76.9 SAR 289

-48.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$106 SAR 399

-54.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$59.9 SAR 225

-68.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$16.22 SAR 60.9

-43.16%

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

$616 €540

$465 SAR 1,747

32.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,542 SAR 35.8K

72.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$58.3 SAR 219

76.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$65.1 SAR 244

-35.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$110 SAR 413

-13.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$101 SAR 378

21.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$1,110 SAR 4,166

47.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$843 SAR 3,164

46.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$2,026 SAR 7,607

52.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,127 SAR 4,233

80.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$2,911 SAR 10.9K

168.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,938 SAR 7,279

126.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,020 SAR 7,587

-20.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.31

-28.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,110 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $54.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $225 per month, with Riyadh 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 Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Riyadh differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,758 including rent). Riyadh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Riyadh. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,110 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $465 in Riyadh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,758 in Riyadh versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Riyadh but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Riyadh 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 Riyadh 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 Riyadh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.