Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salwa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salwa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,351 in Salwa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,232 in Salwa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,113 in Salwa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 64% more expensive than Salwa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Salwa 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$9.62 KWD 2.95

65.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$64.6 KWD 19.83

0.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$6.56 KWD 2.01

60.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 KWD 0.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 KWD 1.16

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$6.06 KWD 1.86

-52.64%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.50 KWD 0.15

348.00%

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

$1.60 KWD 0.49

-28.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.71 KWD 0.22

146.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.85 KWD 0.26

107.06%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.97 KWD 0.61

63.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$5.30 KWD 1.63

154.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.65 KWD 2.04

18.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$10.51 KWD 3.22

51.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.36 KWD 0.72

-2.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.98 KWD 0.61

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.74 KWD 0.53

15.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.84 KWD 0.26

192.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.67 KWD 0.21

174.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.31 KWD 0.40

52.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.60 KWD 0.49

20.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.45 KWD 0.14

75.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.25 KWD 1.00

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

$2.81 KWD 0.86

135.23%

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

$0.89 KWD 0.27

166.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$43.86 KWD 13.45

3.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.36 KWD 1.03

27.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.23 KWD 0.99

-74.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$16.42 KWD 5.04

11.45%

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

$21.0K KWD 6,446

63.10%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$18.2K KWD 5,582

115.90%

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

$148 €127

$62.7 KWD 19.22

136.03%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$18.55 KWD 5.69

10.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$25.34 KWD 7.77

56.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$94.9 KWD 29.11

-49.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$46.21 KWD 14.17

-59.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$11.32 KWD 3.47

-18.90%

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

$614 €528

$407 KWD 125

50.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,713 KWD 2,059

139.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$38.69 KWD 11.86

170.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$42.71 KWD 13.10

-1.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$81.8 KWD 25.09

14.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$65.1 KWD 19.97

83.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$796 KWD 244

104.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$618 KWD 190

103.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,594 KWD 489

90.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,309 KWD 401

54.34%

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

$3,606 KWD 1,106

-55.54%

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 Salwa: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $796 in Salwa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salwa pays 125% 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 $65.0 in Salwa. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $166, with Salwa cheaper for home cooking.

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 Salwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Salwa differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,351 including rent). Salwa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Salwa earns 125% 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 $796 in Salwa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $407 in Salwa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,351 in Salwa versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salwa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salwa 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 Salwa 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 Salwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.