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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,115 in Salalah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,669 in Salalah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,224 in Salalah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 103% more expensive than Salalah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Salalah is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$5.12 OMR 1.97

211.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$26.37 OMR 10.15

140.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$13.06 OMR 5.03

-20.52%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$5.97 OMR 2.30

-53.27%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.67 OMR 0.26

249.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.27 OMR 0.10

481.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$9.35 OMR 3.60

-63.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$10.46 OMR 4.03

-62.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.77 OMR 0.68

-38.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.27 OMR 0.49

39.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.05 OMR 0.79

-16.59%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.91 OMR 0.73

64.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$6.99 OMR 2.69

95.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$4.74 OMR 1.82

68.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$8.84 OMR 3.40

75.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.05 OMR 0.79

11.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.06 OMR 0.41

54.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.60 OMR 0.61

21.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.15 OMR 0.44

118.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.08 OMR 0.41

65.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.84 OMR 0.32

139.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.51 OMR 0.20

286.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 OMR 0.22

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$5.91 OMR 2.28

14.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$19.71 OMR 7.59

-71.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$3.85 OMR 1.48

-63.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$4.58 OMR 1.76

-34.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.28 OMR 0.49

77.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$55.2 OMR 21.26

-17.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$2.33 OMR 0.90

84.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.33 OMR 0.51

-36.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$11.48 OMR 4.42

59.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.59 OMR 0.23

237.29%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$20.7K OMR 7,986

68.85%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$18.0K OMR 6,941

119.31%

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

$146 €126

$65.3 OMR 25.14

123.82%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$48.94 OMR 18.84

-58.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$75.8 OMR 29.19

-48.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$94.7 OMR 36.43

-48.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$25.78 OMR 9.92

-26.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$7.75 OMR 2.98

22.84%

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

$608 €524

$111 OMR 42.81

446.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$2,414 OMR 929

583.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$28.00 OMR 10.78

271.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$30.70 OMR 11.82

37.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$62.7 OMR 24.11

47.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$43.93 OMR 16.91

173.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$255 OMR 98.3

535.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$211 OMR 81.3

499.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$501 OMR 193

508.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$380 OMR 146

428.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$2,052 OMR 790

273.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,219 OMR 469

255.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,800 OMR 693

-11.95%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Salalah: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $255 in Salalah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salalah pays 14% 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 $26.00 in Salalah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $228 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 103% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,115 including rent). Salalah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Salalah earns 14% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $255 in Salalah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 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 $1,115 in Salalah versus $2,263 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 103% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.