Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabah Al Salem and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabah Al Salem and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,312 in Sabah Al Salem versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,228 in Sabah Al Salem versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,143 in Sabah Al Salem versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Sabah Al Salem costs roughly 41% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sabah Al Salem is 2% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.56 KWD 2.32

$15.91 €13.69

-52.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 KWD 18.00

$64.8 €55.7

-9.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.59 KWD 2.63

$10.51 €9.04

-18.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 KWD 1.09

Cappuccino

$5.34 KWD 1.64

$2.87 €2.47

86.06%

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

$0.62 KWD 0.19

$2.24 €1.93

-72.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 KWD 0.10

$1.50 €1.29

-77.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

$1.14 €0.98

25.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

$1.75 €1.51

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 KWD 0.51

$1.76 €1.51

-6.25%

Eggs

$2.04 KWD 0.62

$3.22 €2.77

-36.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.58 KWD 1.40

$13.49 €11.61

-66.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 KWD 2.05

$7.91 €6.81

-15.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 KWD 3.04

$15.87 €13.65

-37.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 KWD 0.72

$2.31 €1.99

1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 KWD 0.51

$1.70 €1.46

-2.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 KWD 0.48

$2.01 €1.73

-22.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

$2.46 €2.12

-41.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 KWD 0.38

$1.84 €1.59

-33.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 KWD 0.34

$2.00 €1.72

-45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 KWD 0.52

$1.93 €1.66

-12.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KWD 0.14

$0.79 €0.68

-41.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 KWD 0.88

$6.61 €5.68

-56.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 KWD 0.28

$2.37 €2.04

-62.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.87 KWD 13.76

$45.56 €39.19

-1.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 KWD 0.97

$4.29 €3.69

-25.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 KWD 0.97

$0.82 €0.70

285.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.57 KWD 5.08

$18.30 €15.74

-9.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$2.06 €1.78

-82.52%

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

$20.5K KWD 6,280

$34.3K €29.5K

-40.26%

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

$18.9K KWD 5,794

$39.3K €33.8K

-51.92%

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

$63.6 KWD 19.50

$148 €127

-57.00%

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

$18.43 KWD 5.65

$20.52 €17.65

-10.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.24 KWD 8.05

$39.61 €34.08

-33.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.5 KWD 29.30

$47.85 €41.16

99.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.83 KWD 14.36

$18.92 €16.28

147.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 KWD 3.46

$9.18 €7.90

22.98%

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

$278 KWD 85.4

$614 €528

-54.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,070 KWD 1,862

$16.0K €13.8K

-62.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.73 KWD 13.11

$105 €90.0

-59.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.21 KWD 12.95

$42.06 €36.18

0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 KWD 26.96

$94.0 €80.8

-6.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 KWD 25.07

$120 €103

-31.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 KWD 248

$1,628 €1,400

-50.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 KWD 188

$1,255 €1,080

-51.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 KWD 486

$3,030 €2,607

-47.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 KWD 402

$2,020 €1,738

-35.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,958 KWD 907

$1,603 €1,379

84.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

3.81

87.40%

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

Last update for Sabah Al Salem: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $808 in Sabah Al Salem and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sabah Al Salem pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Sabah Al Salem vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $269 per month, with Sabah Al Salem 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

Sabah Al Salem vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sabah Al Salem and Lisbon differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,312 vs $2,210 including rent). Sabah Al Salem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sabah Al Salem pays 84% more on average, 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: $808 in Sabah Al Salem versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $278 in Sabah Al Salem versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,312 in Sabah Al Salem versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sabah Al Salem but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sabah Al Salem 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, Sabah Al Salem 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 Sabah Al Salem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.