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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,272 in Sanad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,988 in Sanad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,704 in Sanad.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 80% more expensive than in Sanad, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sanad is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$6.70 BHD 2.52

141.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$53.7 BHD 20.23

18.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.57 BHD 2.85

36.33%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$5.33 BHD 2.01

-46.90%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.79 BHD 0.30

189.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.39 BHD 0.15

305.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$7.76 BHD 2.92

-56.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$10.64 BHD 4.01

-62.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.16 BHD 0.44

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.32 BHD 0.50

32.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.32 BHD 0.88

-24.14%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.48 BHD 0.93

27.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.66 BHD 3.26

52.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$7.75 BHD 2.92

2.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$10.05 BHD 3.79

54.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.21 BHD 0.83

7.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.10 BHD 0.79

-18.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.69 BHD 0.64

18.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.16 BHD 0.44

109.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.95 BHD 0.36

85.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.04 BHD 0.39

95.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.51 BHD 0.57

27.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.44 BHD 0.17

93.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.57 BHD 2.48

0.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$18.69 BHD 7.04

-70.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$3.44 BHD 1.30

-61.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.22 BHD 1.21

-7.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.54 BHD 1.71

-6.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$4.03 BHD 1.52

-79.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$26.94 BHD 10.15

-31.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.56 BHD 0.21

271.43%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$37.6K BHD 14.2K

-7.79%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$20.8K BHD 7,823

88.67%

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

$148 €130

$121 BHD 45.79

21.87%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$15.87 BHD 5.98

28.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$38.02 BHD 14.33

4.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$78.4 BHD 29.53

-38.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$10.56 BHD 3.98

-12.69%

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

$616 €539

$388 BHD 146

58.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,016 BHD 3,398

82.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$46.30 BHD 17.45

121.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$63.6 BHD 23.97

-34.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$83.7 BHD 31.53

13.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$66.6 BHD 25.12

83.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$651 BHD 245

150.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$396 BHD 149

211.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,453 BHD 548

113.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$782 BHD 295

159.83%

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

$1,182 BHD 445

36.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.56

-55.49%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sanad: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $651 in Sanad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 36% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $54.0 in Sanad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $252 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 80% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,272 including rent). Sanad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 36% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $651 in Sanad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,272 in Sanad – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,272 in Sanad versus $2,291 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 80% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.