Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sohar Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sohar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,428 in Sohar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,124 in Sohar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,820 in Sohar.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 60% more expensive than in Sohar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Sohar 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$6.65 OMR 2.56

143.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$21.08 OMR 8.11

200.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.12 OMR 3.51

13.16%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$7.01 OMR 2.70

-59.63%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.64 OMR 0.25

257.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.25 OMR 0.10

532.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$13.09 OMR 5.04

-74.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$14.16 OMR 5.45

-71.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$2.27 OMR 0.87

-51.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.06 OMR 0.41

65.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.33 OMR 1.28

-47.15%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.73 OMR 1.05

16.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$13.68 OMR 5.26

-3.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$8.89 OMR 3.42

-10.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$14.06 OMR 5.41

10.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.30 OMR 1.27

-28.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.10 OMR 0.81

-18.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.58 OMR 0.99

-22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.17 OMR 0.45

107.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.75 OMR 0.67

0.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.83 OMR 0.71

10.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.74 OMR 0.67

10.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.98 OMR 0.38

-13.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.85 OMR 2.25

12.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$25.86 OMR 9.95

-78.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$3.96 OMR 1.52

-66.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$8.79 OMR 3.38

-66.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.62 OMR 1.01

-12.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$51.3 OMR 19.73

-10.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.34 OMR 1.28

26.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.60 OMR 0.62

-49.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$10.37 OMR 3.99

77.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.60 OMR 0.23

246.67%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$18.2K OMR 7,014

90.19%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$20.6K OMR 7,921

90.24%

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

$148 €130

$102 OMR 39.10

45.70%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$29.28 OMR 11.27

-30.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$87.1 OMR 33.52

-54.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$52.4 OMR 20.15

-8.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$11.69 OMR 4.50

-21.13%

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

$616 €540

$267 OMR 103

130.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$7,155 OMR 2,753

129.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$50.6 OMR 19.48

102.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$43.88 OMR 16.89

-4.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$80.2 OMR 30.88

18.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$46.41 OMR 17.86

162.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$497 OMR 191

228.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$383 OMR 148

221.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$780 OMR 300

297.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$683 OMR 263

197.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,184 OMR 455

561.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$775 OMR 298

466.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,506 OMR 964

-35.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.62

-32.21%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sohar: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $497 in Sohar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sohar pays 56% 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 $21.00 in Sohar. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $347, with Lisbon 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 Sohar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sohar differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,428 including rent). Sohar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Sohar. 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 $497 in Sohar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $267 in Sohar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,428 in Sohar versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sohar but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sohar 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 Sohar 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 Sohar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.