Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salmiya Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salmiya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,416 in Salmiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,275 in Salmiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,134 in Salmiya.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 62% more expensive than in Salmiya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Salmiya 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$9.22 KWD 2.83

75.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$49.01 KWD 15.06

29.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.04 KWD 2.47

28.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 KWD 0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 KWD 0.51

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$5.09 KWD 1.56

-44.40%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.42 KWD 0.13

445.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.35 KWD 0.11

351.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.55 KWD 0.48

-29.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.90 KWD 0.28

94.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.72 KWD 0.53

2.33%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.88 KWD 0.58

68.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$5.16 KWD 1.59

155.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.65 KWD 2.04

19.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$8.76 KWD 2.69

77.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.33 KWD 0.71

1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.66 KWD 0.51

3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.73 KWD 0.53

16.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.51 KWD 0.46

60.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.24 KWD 0.38

41.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.31 KWD 0.40

54.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.61 KWD 0.49

19.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.45 KWD 0.14

88.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.01 KWD 0.92

118.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.09 KWD 0.33

109.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$48.09 KWD 14.78

-4.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.31 KWD 1.02

27.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$3.16 KWD 0.97

-74.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$13.27 KWD 4.08

38.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.37 KWD 0.11

462.16%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$20.0K KWD 6,142

73.53%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$19.7K KWD 6,051

98.93%

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

$148 €130

$56.3 KWD 17.29

163.20%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$18.42 KWD 5.66

11.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$25.41 KWD 7.81

55.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$108 KWD 33.12

-55.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$32.54 KWD 10.00

-42.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$11.21 KWD 3.45

-17.75%

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

$616 €539

$402 KWD 124

53.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,536 KWD 1,702

196.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$42.38 KWD 13.03

142.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$42.94 KWD 13.20

-2.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$86.8 KWD 26.67

9.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$82.5 KWD 25.36

47.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$868 KWD 267

88.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$666 KWD 205

84.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$2,643 KWD 812

17.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,321 KWD 406

53.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,931 KWD 594

-16.77%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Salmiya: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $868 in Salmiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salmiya pays 20% 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 $49.00 in Salmiya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $168 per month, with Salmiya 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 Salmiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Salmiya differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,416 including rent). Salmiya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Salmiya. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $868 in Salmiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $402 in Salmiya. 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 $1,416 in Salmiya versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salmiya but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salmiya 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 Salmiya 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 Salmiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.