Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ruwi

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruwi: $639 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Ruwi

🇴🇲 Oman

$639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ruwi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Ruwi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $639 in Ruwi.

Lisbon $2,223
Ruwi $639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $833 in Ruwi.

Lisbon $3,271
Ruwi $833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $1,028 in Ruwi.

Lisbon $4,319
Ruwi $1,028

Living in Lisbon is roughly 248% more expensive than in Ruwi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Ruwi is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

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

$2.26 €2.01

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.99 OMR 0.77

-43.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.98 OMR 0.76

-6.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$0.99 OMR 0.38

54.55%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$1.17 OMR 0.45

238.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$2.03 OMR 0.78

528.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$2.05 OMR 0.79

285.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$4.93 OMR 1.90

244.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$0.98 OMR 0.38

131.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.02 OMR 0.39

71.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.02 OMR 0.39

81.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$1.03 OMR 0.40

149.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.99 OMR 0.38

87.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.98 OMR 0.38

46.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.02 OMR 0.39

-19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

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

$33.7K €30.0K

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

$39.3K €35.0K

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

$167 €149

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

$18.80 €16.72

$25.53 OMR 9.83

-26.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$79.3 OMR 30.55

-58.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$8.97 OMR 3.45

9.70%

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

$677 €602

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$396 OMR 152

307.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$397 OMR 153

201.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$901 OMR 347

217.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$581 OMR 224

242.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$4,398 OMR 1,693

-63.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ruwi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Ruwi

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Ruwi

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Ruwi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Ruwi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Ruwi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Ruwi

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Ruwi

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $396 in Ruwi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwi pays 177% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇴🇲 Ruwi

🕒 Local time

02:45 2:45 AM

05:45 5:45 AM

3 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Ruwi 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

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Ruwi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ruwi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ruwi differ by about 248% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $639 including rent). Ruwi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 177% lower in Ruwi. 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: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $396 in Ruwi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 127% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $639 in Ruwi – a 248% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $639 in Ruwi versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ruwi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ruwi 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 Ruwi 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 Ruwi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 248% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.