Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Saham Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Saham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $798 in Saham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,208 in Saham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,618 in Saham.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 186% more expensive than in Saham, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Saham is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$5.30 OMR 2.04

197.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$26.47 OMR 10.19

139.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$7.92 OMR 3.05

31.94%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$5.01 OMR 1.93

-41.92%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.05 OMR 0.40

118.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.34 OMR 0.13

341.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$12.19 OMR 4.69

-70.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$11.50 OMR 4.43

-65.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.00 OMR 0.77

-46.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.24 OMR 0.48

41.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.68 OMR 0.65

1.19%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.38 OMR 0.92

36.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$3.68 OMR 1.42

260.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$4.99 OMR 1.92

54.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$8.35 OMR 3.21

88.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.53 OMR 0.98

-9.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.66 OMR 0.64

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.84 OMR 0.71

9.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.14 OMR 0.44

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.96 OMR 0.37

86.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.02 OMR 0.39

102.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.05 OMR 0.40

87.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.53 OMR 0.20

56.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$6.54 OMR 2.52

0.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$15.78 OMR 6.07

-64.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$4.25 OMR 1.63

-68.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$8.00 OMR 3.08

-62.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.18 OMR 1.22

33.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.79 OMR 0.30

7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$10.49 OMR 4.04

79.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.61 OMR 0.23

231.15%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$23.1K OMR 8,895

51.27%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$21.5K OMR 8,267

84.56%

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

$148 €128

$107 OMR 41.14

38.39%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$40.40 OMR 15.55

-49.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$68.6 OMR 26.39

-42.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$10.58 OMR 4.07

-13.99%

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

$615 €532

$196 OMR 75.4

213.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$9,807 OMR 3,775

66.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$50.2 OMR 19.31

102.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$38.72 OMR 14.90

8.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$79.0 OMR 30.40

16.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$87.3 OMR 33.58

39.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.15

-26.02%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Saham: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $26.00 in Saham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $230 per month, with Saham 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 Saham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Saham differ by about 186% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $798 including rent). Saham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $1,196 in Saham to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $798 in Saham – a 186% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $798 in Saham versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saham but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Saham 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 Saham 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 Saham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.