Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and The Pearl-Qatar Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and The Pearl-Qatar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,622 in The Pearl-Qatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $3,869 in The Pearl-Qatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $5,117 in The Pearl-Qatar.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 12% less than in The Pearl-Qatar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, The Pearl-Qatar 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$7.91 QAR 28.78

122.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$73.2 QAR 267

-14.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$8.01 QAR 29.16

44.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.98 QAR 43.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.31 QAR 48.45

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.43 QAR 19.75

-42.91%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.94 QAR 3.41

164.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.45 QAR 1.64

286.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.59 QAR 5.79

-27.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.45 QAR 5.27

31.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.01 QAR 7.30

-25.37%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.46 QAR 8.95

61.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$7.02 QAR 25.55

89.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$8.36 QAR 30.45

-4.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$11.24 QAR 40.91

60.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.15 QAR 7.84

9.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.84 QAR 6.69

-4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.51 QAR 5.49

22.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.28 QAR 4.64

99.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.99 QAR 3.59

85.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.92 QAR 3.35

128.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.39 QAR 5.06

7.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.51 QAR 1.85

60.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.31 QAR 33.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 QAR 6.99

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 QAR 8.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$6.34 QAR 23.09

11.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.58 QAR 2.10

306.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$31.33 QAR 114

48.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.94 QAR 7.05

110.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.53 QAR 1.91

115.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$9.60 QAR 34.94

78.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.54 QAR 1.95

327.78%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$16.0K QAR 58.2K

113.26%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$14.9K QAR 54.3K

177.31%

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

$169 €147

$89.0 QAR 324

89.34%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$31.11 QAR 113

-37.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$74.6 QAR 271

-55.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$175 QAR 637

-72.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

$37.42 QAR 136

-48.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$11.71 QAR 42.63

-18.27%

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

$696 €606

$685 QAR 2,492

1.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$9,903 QAR 36.0K

75.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$58.2 QAR 212

80.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$50.5 QAR 184

-5.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$77.9 QAR 284

28.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$86.9 QAR 316

43.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$2,200 QAR 8,009

-24.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$1,719 QAR 6,257

-27.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$4,324 QAR 15.7K

-31.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$3,053 QAR 11.1K

-32.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$7,343 QAR 26.7K

6.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$5,526 QAR 20.1K

-19.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$7,271 QAR 26.5K

-77.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.29

-11.89%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for The Pearl-Qatar: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $2,200 in The Pearl-Qatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Pearl-Qatar pays 346% 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 $73.0 in The Pearl-Qatar. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $196, with The Pearl-Qatar 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 The Pearl-Qatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and The Pearl-Qatar differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,622 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 346% lower in The Pearl-Qatar. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $2,200 in The Pearl-Qatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $685 in The Pearl-Qatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in The Pearl-Qatar pay roughly 42% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 The Pearl-Qatar 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in The Pearl-Qatar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.