Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,734 in Riyadh versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Riyadh versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Riyadh versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Riyadh costs roughly 24% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Riyadh 26% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 SAR 29.24

$17.55 €15.12

-55.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 SAR 243

$64.5 €55.6

0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 SAR 33.31

$11.65 €10.04

-23.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 SAR 7.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 SAR 11.14

Cappuccino

$4.23 SAR 15.87

$3.26 €2.81

29.75%

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

$0.85 SAR 3.19

$2.49 €2.15

-65.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.22

$1.67 €1.44

-80.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

$1.18 €1.02

42.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 SAR 4.70

$1.95 €1.68

-35.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 SAR 9.21

$1.56 €1.35

57.05%

Eggs

$3.19 SAR 11.98

$4.01 €3.46

-20.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 SAR 36.38

$13.27 €11.44

-26.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SAR 37.36

$8.42 €7.26

18.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 SAR 57.0

$18.23 €15.72

-16.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 SAR 9.84

$2.32 €2.00

12.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.31

$1.73 €1.49

12.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.87

$1.93 €1.67

22.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.51

$2.64 €2.27

-34.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 SAR 4.50

$1.90 €1.64

-36.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 SAR 5.37

$2.11 €1.82

-32.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SAR 6.43

$1.44 €1.24

18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.21

$0.80 €0.69

-26.25%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.75 SAR 29.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SAR 9.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.51 SAR 28.19

$7.01 €6.04

7.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$2.38 €2.05

-54.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.56 SAR 141

$46.22 €39.85

-18.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 SAR 12.33

$4.19 €3.61

-21.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

$1.10 €0.95

71.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.13 SAR 49.32

$17.26 €14.88

-23.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$2.25 €1.94

-73.78%

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

$35.9K SAR 134.7K

$34.5K €29.7K

4.09%

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

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

$41.6K €35.9K

-46.20%

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

$97.0 SAR 364

$171 €147

-43.24%

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

$32.37 SAR 122

$19.01 €16.38

70.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.6 SAR 258

$34.28 €29.55

100.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.7 SAR 337

$49.65 €42.80

80.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 SAR 206

$19.51 €16.81

181.60%

Cinema Ticket

$13.29 SAR 49.89

$10.10 €8.71

31.58%

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

$533 SAR 2,000

$699 €603

-23.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K SAR 42.6K

$17.8K €15.3K

-36.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 SAR 221

$105 €90.2

-43.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 SAR 211

$47.97 €41.35

16.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 SAR 398

$102 €87.8

4.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SAR 392

$128 €111

-18.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 SAR 4,408

$1,661 €1,432

-29.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 SAR 3,117

$1,228 €1,059

-32.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 SAR 8,280

$2,915 €2,513

-24.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 SAR 4,595

$2,023 €1,744

-39.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,935 SAR 11.0K

$8,129 €7,007

-63.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,962 SAR 7,367

$4,635 €3,996

-57.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,052 SAR 7,705

$1,619 €1,396

26.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

3.78

46.56%

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

Last update for Riyadh: September 5, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,174 in Riyadh and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Riyadh vs $64.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $240 vs $281, with Riyadh 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

Riyadh vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riyadh and Lisbon differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,734 vs $2,268 including rent). Riyadh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Riyadh, 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: $1,174 in Riyadh versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $533 in Riyadh versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,734 in Riyadh versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Riyadh but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Riyadh 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, Riyadh 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 Riyadh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.