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: $1,020 in Salalah versus $2,322 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,554 in Salalah versus $3,409 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,088 in Salalah versus $4,496 in Lisbon.

Living in Salalah costs roughly 56% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Salalah is 26% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.16 OMR 1.99

$17.10 €14.63

-69.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.03 OMR 10.02

$64.1 €54.8

-59.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 OMR 4.93

$11.71 €10.02

9.39%

Cappuccino

$6.29 OMR 2.42

$3.14 €2.69

100.32%

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

$0.91 OMR 0.35

$2.51 €2.14

-63.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 OMR 0.10

$1.66 €1.42

-84.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.87 OMR 3.42

$3.51 €3.01

152.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.54 OMR 4.06

$3.37 €2.88

212.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 OMR 0.75

$1.16 €0.99

67.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$2.02 €1.73

-37.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 OMR 1.01

$1.58 €1.35

66.46%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.73 OMR 1.82

$12.81 €10.96

-63.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 OMR 1.76

$8.02 €6.86

-43.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 OMR 0.73

$2.38 €2.03

-20.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 OMR 0.72

$1.83 €1.57

1.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 OMR 0.82

$1.99 €1.71

7.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 OMR 0.71

$2.67 €2.28

-31.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 OMR 0.57

$1.90 €1.63

-22.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 OMR 0.39

$1.97 €1.69

-48.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 OMR 0.40

$1.43 €1.23

-26.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 OMR 0.20

$0.91 €0.78

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 OMR 2.33

$6.82 €5.84

-11.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.53 OMR 7.52

$5.73 €4.90

240.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.80 OMR 1.46

$1.33 €1.14

185.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 OMR 1.84

$2.13 €1.83

124.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 OMR 0.50

$2.40 €2.05

-46.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 OMR 21.30

$45.94 €39.30

20.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 OMR 0.86

$4.25 €3.63

-47.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$1.11 €0.95

14.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 OMR 4.46

$17.99 €15.39

-35.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$2.20 €1.88

-70.91%

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

$21.0K OMR 8,070

$35.2K €30.1K

-40.45%

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

$18.2K OMR 7,010

$40.0K €34.2K

-54.53%

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

$77.1 OMR 29.68

$171 €146

-54.94%

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

$49.81 OMR 19.18

$19.61 €16.78

154.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.4 OMR 29.02

$33.19 €28.39

127.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.20 OMR 15.48

$47.96 €41.02

-16.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.60 OMR 9.86

$19.88 €17.01

28.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 OMR 2.98

$10.12 €8.66

-23.42%

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

$700 €599

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,966 OMR 757

$17.4K €14.8K

-88.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.11 OMR 10.82

$109 €93.4

-74.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.70 OMR 12.21

$47.84 €40.92

-33.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 OMR 22.66

$106 €90.9

-44.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.37 OMR 17.47

$126 €108

-64.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 OMR 96.5

$1,708 €1,461

-85.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 OMR 79.8

$1,265 €1,082

-83.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 OMR 242

$2,973 €2,543

-78.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 OMR 149

$2,000 €1,711

-80.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 OMR 763

$8,013 €6,855

-75.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 OMR 471

$4,525 €3,871

-72.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,792 OMR 690

$1,663 €1,422

7.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

3.73

22.79%

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

Last update for Salalah: August 16, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $251 in Salalah and $1,708 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salalah pays 8% 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 $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $277 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 128% in total monthly costs ($1,020 vs $2,322 including rent). Salalah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Salalah, 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: $251 in Salalah versus $1,708 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,020 per month in Salalah versus $2,322 in Lisbon – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,020 in Salalah versus $2,322 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 128% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.