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: $1,322 in Muscat versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,928 in Muscat versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,533 in Muscat versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Muscat costs roughly 42% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Muscat is 1% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 OMR 2.04

$16.19 €14.17

-67.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.50 OMR 9.82

$63.3 €55.4

-59.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 OMR 3.08

$10.32 €9.03

-22.58%

Cappuccino

$4.86 OMR 1.87

$2.83 €2.48

71.73%

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

$1.01 OMR 0.39

$2.29 €2.00

-55.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 OMR 0.13

$1.58 €1.38

-78.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.41 OMR 4.78

$3.40 €2.98

265.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.66 OMR 4.49

$4.03 €3.52

189.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 OMR 0.76

$1.09 €0.95

81.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 OMR 0.47

$1.75 €1.53

-29.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 OMR 0.66

$1.76 €1.54

-3.41%

Eggs

$2.42 OMR 0.93

$3.17 €2.77

-23.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.71 OMR 1.43

$13.19 €11.54

-71.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 OMR 1.88

$7.97 €6.97

-38.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.27 OMR 3.18

$15.53 €13.59

-46.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 OMR 0.97

$2.37 €2.07

5.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 OMR 0.66

$1.71 €1.49

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 OMR 0.69

$2.01 €1.76

-11.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 OMR 0.44

$2.43 €2.13

-53.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.76 €1.54

-42.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$2.03 €1.78

-51.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 OMR 0.42

$1.92 €1.68

-43.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 OMR 0.20

$0.85 €0.74

-38.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 OMR 2.42

$6.58 €5.76

-4.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.71 OMR 6.05

$5.58 €4.88

181.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 OMR 1.68

$1.33 €1.17

229.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 OMR 3.09

$2.97 €2.60

170.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$2.28 €1.99

-44.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 OMR 24.26

$45.79 €40.06

37.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 OMR 1.22

$4.23 €3.70

-25.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$0.81 €0.71

-1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 OMR 3.92

$18.44 €16.13

-44.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$2.08 €1.82

-69.23%

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

$22.5K OMR 8,654

$34.7K €30.3K

-35.14%

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

$21.5K OMR 8,279

$39.2K €34.3K

-45.07%

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

$109 OMR 41.78

$148 €130

-26.67%

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

$40.41 OMR 15.55

$20.46 €17.90

97.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 OMR 26.38

$39.56 €34.61

73.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.75 OMR 18.76

$47.99 €41.99

1.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.23 OMR 8.94

$18.60 €16.27

24.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 OMR 3.96

$9.22 €8.07

11.50%

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

$190 OMR 73.0

$616 €539

-69.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K OMR 3,861

$16.4K €14.4K

-38.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 OMR 19.62

$103 €89.9

-50.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.14 OMR 15.07

$41.74 €36.52

-6.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 OMR 29.87

$94.8 €82.9

-18.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 OMR 33.72

$122 €107

-28.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 OMR 237

$1,633 €1,428

-62.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 OMR 157

$1,232 €1,078

-66.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 OMR 478

$3,098 €2,711

-59.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 OMR 275

$2,031 €1,777

-64.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 OMR 1,103

$7,831 €6,851

-63.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,593 OMR 613

$4,389 €3,840

-63.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,576 OMR 607

$1,607 €1,406

-1.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

3.81

35.17%

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

Last update for Muscat: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Muscat and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2% 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: $26.00 in Muscat vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $267 per month, with Muscat 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

Muscat vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muscat and Lisbon differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,322 vs $2,291 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Lisbon. 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: $616 in Muscat versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $190 in Muscat versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,322 in Muscat versus $2,291 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 73% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.