Cost of Living Comparison Between Salalah and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Salalah and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,111 in Salalah versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,643 in Salalah versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in Salalah versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Salalah costs roughly 50% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Salalah is 17% below, Lisbon is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.22 OMR 2.00

$16.17 €13.84

-67.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.83 OMR 9.92

$64.6 €55.3

-60.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 OMR 5.02

$10.38 €8.88

25.92%

Cappuccino

$6.04 OMR 2.32

$2.77 €2.37

118.05%

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

$0.67 OMR 0.26

$2.25 €1.92

-70.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 OMR 0.10

$1.57 €1.35

-84.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.22 OMR 3.54

$3.49 €2.99

164.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 OMR 4.07

$4.00 €3.43

165.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 OMR 0.66

$1.08 €0.93

58.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 OMR 0.48

$1.74 €1.49

-27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 OMR 0.81

$1.74 €1.49

21.84%

Eggs

$1.96 OMR 0.75

$3.18 €2.72

-38.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.72 OMR 2.58

$13.43 €11.50

-49.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 OMR 1.76

$7.99 €6.84

-42.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 OMR 3.56

$16.09 €13.77

-42.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 OMR 0.82

$2.28 €1.95

-6.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 OMR 0.42

$1.72 €1.48

-36.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 OMR 0.60

$1.94 €1.66

-18.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 OMR 0.44

$2.54 €2.18

-54.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 OMR 0.44

$1.83 €1.57

-38.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 OMR 0.32

$2.04 €1.75

-58.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 OMR 0.20

$1.98 €1.69

-73.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 OMR 0.21

$0.85 €0.73

-37.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.68 OMR 2.18

$6.85 €5.87

-17.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.62 OMR 7.53

$5.78 €4.94

239.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.01 OMR 1.54

$1.37 €1.18

192.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 OMR 1.78

$2.90 €2.48

59.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$2.28 €1.95

-42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 OMR 20.65

$46.84 €40.10

14.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 OMR 0.85

$4.08 €3.49

-45.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$0.82 €0.70

56.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.76 OMR 4.52

$18.27 €15.64

-35.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 OMR 0.23

$2.01 €1.72

-70.65%

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

$20.7K OMR 7,952

$35.3K €30.2K

-41.28%

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

$18.2K OMR 6,994

$38.5K €32.9K

-52.68%

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

$64.4 OMR 24.71

$145 €124

-55.74%

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

$49.60 OMR 19.05

$20.96 €17.94

136.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.5 OMR 29.75

$40.05 €34.29

93.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.7 OMR 36.37

$48.79 €41.76

94.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.51 OMR 10.18

$18.69 €16.00

41.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 OMR 2.94

$9.06 €7.76

-15.45%

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

$111 OMR 42.80

$607 €519

-81.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,402 OMR 922

$16.3K €14.0K

-85.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.22 OMR 10.45

$105 €89.6

-73.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.71 OMR 12.17

$40.95 €35.06

-22.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.3 OMR 24.29

$93.6 €80.1

-32.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.40 OMR 16.66

$119 €101

-63.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 OMR 97.3

$1,604 €1,373

-84.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 OMR 80.4

$1,236 €1,058

-83.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 OMR 193

$3,046 €2,607

-83.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 OMR 144

$2,057 €1,761

-81.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,015 OMR 774

$7,709 €6,599

-73.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,232 OMR 473

$4,266 €3,652

-71.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 OMR 669

$1,584 €1,356

10.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

3.81

20.21%

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

Last update for Salalah: April 28, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $253 in Salalah and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salalah pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Salalah vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $271 per month, with Salalah 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

Salalah vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salalah and Lisbon differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($1,111 vs $2,227 including rent). Salalah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Salalah pays 10% 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: $253 in Salalah versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $111 in Salalah versus $607 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,111 in Salalah versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Salalah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salalah 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, Salalah 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 Salalah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.