Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salalah Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salalah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,111 in Salalah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,643 in Salalah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,175 in Salalah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 101% more expensive than Salalah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Salalah is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$5.22 OMR 2.00

209.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$25.83 OMR 9.92

149.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$13.07 OMR 5.02

-20.58%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$6.04 OMR 2.32

-54.14%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.67 OMR 0.26

235.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.25 OMR 0.10

528.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$9.22 OMR 3.54

-62.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$10.60 OMR 4.07

-62.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.71 OMR 0.66

-36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.26 OMR 0.48

38.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.12 OMR 0.81

-17.92%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.96 OMR 0.75

62.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$6.72 OMR 2.58

99.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$4.59 OMR 1.76

74.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$9.26 OMR 3.56

73.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.14 OMR 0.82

6.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.10 OMR 0.42

56.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.58 OMR 0.60

22.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.16 OMR 0.44

118.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.13 OMR 0.44

61.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.84 OMR 0.32

142.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.53 OMR 0.20

273.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.53 OMR 0.21

60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$5.68 OMR 2.18

20.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$19.62 OMR 7.53

-70.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$4.01 OMR 1.54

-65.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$4.63 OMR 1.78

-37.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.32 OMR 0.51

72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$53.8 OMR 20.65

-12.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.21 OMR 0.85

84.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.28 OMR 0.49

-35.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$11.76 OMR 4.52

55.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$0.59 OMR 0.23

240.68%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$20.7K OMR 7,952

70.31%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$18.2K OMR 6,994

111.32%

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

$145 €124

$64.4 OMR 24.71

125.95%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$49.60 OMR 19.05

-57.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$77.5 OMR 29.75

-48.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$94.7 OMR 36.37

-48.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$26.51 OMR 10.18

-29.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$7.66 OMR 2.94

18.28%

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

$607 €519

$111 OMR 42.80

444.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$2,402 OMR 922

579.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$27.22 OMR 10.45

284.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$31.71 OMR 12.17

29.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$63.3 OMR 24.29

47.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$43.40 OMR 16.66

173.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$253 OMR 97.3

533.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$209 OMR 80.4

490.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$502 OMR 193

506.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$374 OMR 144

449.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$2,015 OMR 774

282.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,232 OMR 473

246.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,743 OMR 669

-9.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.58

-16.81%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Salalah: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $253 in Salalah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salalah pays 10% 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 $26.00 in Salalah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $229 per month, with Salalah 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 Salalah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Salalah differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,111 including rent). Salalah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Salalah earns 10% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $253 in Salalah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $111 in Salalah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,111 in Salalah versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Salalah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salalah 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 Salalah 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 Salalah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.