Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,525 in Muscat versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,272 in Muscat versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,019 in Muscat versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Muscat costs roughly 34% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Muscat 11% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 OMR 2.06

$17.30 €14.87

-69.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.00 OMR 13.09

$63.3 €54.4

-46.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 OMR 2.98

$11.39 €9.79

-32.05%

Cappuccino

$4.73 OMR 1.82

$3.19 €2.74

48.28%

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

$0.86 OMR 0.33

$2.45 €2.10

-64.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 OMR 0.11

$1.76 €1.52

-83.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.07 OMR 5.03

$3.59 €3.09

264.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.79 OMR 4.92

$3.39 €2.92

277.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 OMR 0.87

$1.24 €1.06

81.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 OMR 0.48

$1.98 €1.71

-36.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 OMR 0.73

$1.52 €1.31

25.00%

Eggs

$2.94 OMR 1.13

$4.04 €3.47

-27.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 OMR 2.94

$13.54 €11.64

-43.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 OMR 2.53

$8.39 €7.21

-21.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.54 OMR 4.06

$18.25 €15.69

-42.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 OMR 1.31

$2.29 €1.97

48.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 OMR 0.77

$1.74 €1.50

14.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 OMR 0.89

$1.86 €1.60

24.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$2.63 €2.26

-54.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$1.92 €1.65

-36.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 OMR 0.50

$2.09 €1.80

-38.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 OMR 0.69

$1.44 €1.24

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 OMR 0.26

$0.84 €0.72

-20.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 OMR 2.43

$6.78 €5.83

-7.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.43 OMR 5.94

$5.71 €4.91

170.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.68 OMR 2.19

$1.38 €1.18

311.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 OMR 3.36

$2.22 €1.91

292.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 OMR 0.49

$2.40 €2.06

-46.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.7 OMR 29.52

$46.78 €40.22

63.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 OMR 1.24

$4.17 €3.59

-23.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 OMR 1.00

$1.14 €0.98

127.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 OMR 3.01

$17.68 €15.20

-55.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 OMR 0.23

$2.32 €2.00

-73.71%

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

$25.1K OMR 9,665

$35.3K €30.4K

-28.96%

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

$22.2K OMR 8,564

$41.4K €35.6K

-46.33%

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

$170 OMR 65.5

$170 €146

-0.20%

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

$30.94 OMR 11.91

$19.34 €16.62

59.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 OMR 26.92

$33.64 €28.92

107.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 OMR 24.14

$48.10 €41.35

30.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.20 OMR 11.24

$19.90 €17.11

46.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 OMR 3.98

$9.92 €8.53

4.23%

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

$289 OMR 111

$717 €617

-59.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K OMR 4,110

$17.5K €15.0K

-38.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 OMR 21.42

$105 €90.1

-46.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 OMR 16.63

$46.95 €40.36

-8.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 OMR 35.43

$103 €88.9

-11.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 OMR 36.95

$124 €107

-22.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 OMR 259

$1,677 €1,441

-59.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 OMR 175

$1,271 €1,093

-64.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 OMR 526

$2,985 €2,566

-54.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 OMR 330

$1,992 €1,713

-56.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,835 OMR 1,092

$7,826 €6,728

-63.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,595 OMR 614

$4,658 €4,004

-65.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,660 OMR 639

$1,583 €1,361

4.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

3.79

38.52%

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

Last update for Muscat: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Muscat and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Muscat vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $283, 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

Muscat vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muscat and Lisbon differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,525 vs $2,316 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Muscat, 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: $673 in Muscat versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $289 in Muscat versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,525 in Muscat versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Muscat but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Muscat 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, Muscat and Lisbon 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 Muscat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.