Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sabah Al Salem Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sabah Al Salem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,312 in Sabah Al Salem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,228 in Sabah Al Salem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,143 in Sabah Al Salem.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 68% more expensive than Sabah Al Salem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sabah Al Salem is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$7.56 KWD 2.32

110.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$58.7 KWD 18.00

10.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.59 KWD 2.63

22.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 KWD 1.09

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$5.34 KWD 1.64

-46.25%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.62 KWD 0.19

261.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.34 KWD 0.10

341.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.43 KWD 0.44

-20.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.05 KWD 0.32

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.65 KWD 0.51

6.67%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.04 KWD 0.62

57.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$4.58 KWD 1.40

194.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.68 KWD 2.05

18.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$9.91 KWD 3.04

60.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.35 KWD 0.72

-1.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.65 KWD 0.51

3.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.56 KWD 0.48

28.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.43 KWD 0.44

72.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.23 KWD 0.38

49.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.10 KWD 0.34

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.69 KWD 0.52

14.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.46 KWD 0.14

71.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.86 KWD 0.88

131.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.90 KWD 0.28

163.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$44.87 KWD 13.76

1.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.18 KWD 0.97

34.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.16 KWD 0.97

-74.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$16.57 KWD 5.08

10.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.36 KWD 0.11

472.22%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$20.5K KWD 6,280

67.40%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$18.9K KWD 5,794

108.01%

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

$148 €127

$63.6 KWD 19.50

132.54%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$18.43 KWD 5.65

11.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$26.24 KWD 8.05

50.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$95.5 KWD 29.30

-49.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$46.83 KWD 14.36

-59.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$11.29 KWD 3.46

-18.69%

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

$614 €528

$278 KWD 85.4

120.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,070 KWD 1,862

164.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$42.73 KWD 13.11

144.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$42.21 KWD 12.95

-0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$87.9 KWD 26.96

6.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$81.8 KWD 25.07

46.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$808 KWD 248

101.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$611 KWD 188

105.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,586 KWD 486

91.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,309 KWD 402

54.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$2,958 KWD 907

-45.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.14

-46.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sabah Al Salem: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $808 in Sabah Al Salem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sabah Al Salem pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $59.0 in Sabah Al Salem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $170 per month, with Sabah Al Salem 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 Sabah Al Salem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sabah Al Salem differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,312 including rent). Sabah Al Salem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sabah Al Salem earns 84% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $808 in Sabah Al Salem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $278 in Sabah Al Salem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,312 in Sabah Al Salem versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sabah Al Salem but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sabah Al Salem 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 Sabah Al Salem 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 Sabah Al Salem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.