Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sanad Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sanad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,285 in Sanad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,026 in Sanad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,766 in Sanad.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 76% more expensive than in Sanad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Sanad is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.13

$6.74 BHD 2.54

160.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$53.8 BHD 20.26

19.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.49 BHD 2.82

55.54%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$4.95 BHD 1.87

-34.14%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.90 BHD 0.34

176.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.32 BHD 0.12

421.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$6.81 BHD 2.57

-49.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$9.65 BHD 3.64

-62.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.47 BHD 0.55

-19.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.10 BHD 0.41

77.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.31 BHD 0.87

-32.47%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.22 BHD 0.84

80.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.45

$8.90 BHD 3.35

49.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.39 BHD 2.41

31.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$8.86 BHD 3.34

105.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.29 BHD 0.86

1.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.26 BHD 0.85

-23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.89 BHD 0.71

2.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$1.44 BHD 0.54

83.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.00 BHD 0.38

90.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.41 BHD 0.53

49.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.49 BHD 0.56

-3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.79 BHD 0.30

1.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.19 BHD 1.96

35.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$18.52 BHD 6.98

-68.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$3.59 BHD 1.35

-62.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.73 BHD 1.03

-21.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.86

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$5.19 BHD 1.95

-19.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$3.51 BHD 1.32

-68.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$15.62 BHD 5.89

10.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.64 BHD 0.24

251.56%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$36.5K BHD 13.7K

-5.50%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$20.8K BHD 7,825

100.46%

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

$171 €147

$155 BHD 58.3

10.51%

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

$19.01 €16.39

$16.06 BHD 6.05

18.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.56

$35.11 BHD 13.23

-2.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.81

$81.0 BHD 30.51

-38.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.82

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$10.76 BHD 4.05

-6.13%

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

$699 €603

$483 BHD 182

44.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$11.2K BHD 4,205

59.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$51.1 BHD 19.27

104.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.36

$57.1 BHD 21.51

-15.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$86.6 BHD 32.65

17.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$89.5 BHD 33.72

43.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,433

$666 BHD 251

149.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$393 BHD 148

212.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,514

$1,323 BHD 499

120.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,745

$806 BHD 304

151.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,010

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,997

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,171 BHD 441

38.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.21

-39.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Sanad: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $666 in Sanad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $54.0 in Sanad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $250 per month, with Sanad 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 Sanad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sanad differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,285 including rent). Sanad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $666 in Sanad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,285 in Sanad – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Sanad versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sanad but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sanad 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 Sanad 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 Sanad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.