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: $1,117 in Salalah versus $2,217 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,684 in Salalah versus $3,245 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,251 in Salalah versus $4,272 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 16% below, Lisbon is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 OMR 2.06

$15.78 €13.59

-66.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.02 OMR 10.01

$62.5 €53.8

-58.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 OMR 4.90

$10.54 €9.07

20.87%

Cappuccino

$5.96 OMR 2.30

$2.77 €2.38

115.16%

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

$0.68 OMR 0.26

$2.28 €1.97

-70.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$1.55 €1.33

-82.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.19 OMR 3.54

$3.55 €3.05

158.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.22 OMR 3.93

$3.98 €3.43

156.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 OMR 0.65

$1.08 €0.93

55.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 OMR 0.47

$1.77 €1.52

-31.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 OMR 0.82

$1.77 €1.52

19.77%

Eggs

$1.96 OMR 0.75

$3.12 €2.69

-37.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 OMR 2.69

$13.34 €11.49

-47.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 OMR 1.82

$7.99 €6.88

-40.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 OMR 3.52

$15.92 €13.70

-42.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 OMR 0.79

$2.28 €1.97

-10.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 OMR 0.42

$1.64 €1.42

-32.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 OMR 0.61

$1.98 €1.70

-19.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 OMR 0.44

$2.45 €2.11

-53.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 OMR 0.42

$1.77 €1.52

-38.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$1.97 €1.69

-56.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 OMR 0.19

$1.97 €1.70

-74.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 OMR 0.21

$0.80 €0.69

-32.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 OMR 2.20

$6.54 €5.63

-12.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.59 OMR 7.54

$5.75 €4.95

240.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 OMR 1.50

$1.32 €1.13

196.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 OMR 1.77

$2.99 €2.57

53.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$2.34 €2.01

-43.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.3 OMR 20.89

$45.85 €39.48

18.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 OMR 0.90

$4.26 €3.66

-45.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$0.84 €0.73

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.47 OMR 4.41

$18.86 €16.24

-39.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$2.07 €1.78

-69.08%

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

$21.1K OMR 8,134

$35.2K €30.3K

-40.03%

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

$18.1K OMR 6,962

$38.6K €33.2K

-53.14%

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

$63.8 OMR 24.54

$151 €130

-57.81%

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

$49.08 OMR 18.89

$20.91 €18.00

134.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 OMR 29.12

$39.54 €34.05

91.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.1 OMR 35.83

$48.39 €41.67

92.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 OMR 9.94

$18.61 €16.02

38.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 OMR 3.08

$9.04 €7.79

-11.50%

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

$113 OMR 43.62

$610 €525

-81.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,353 OMR 906

$16.3K €14.0K

-85.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.72 OMR 10.67

$101 €87.2

-72.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.59 OMR 11.77

$40.58 €34.94

-24.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.8 OMR 24.17

$93.0 €80.1

-32.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.62 OMR 16.40

$119 €102

-64.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 OMR 99.0

$1,603 €1,380

-83.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 OMR 80.4

$1,239 €1,067

-83.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 OMR 189

$3,019 €2,599

-83.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 OMR 143

$2,061 €1,775

-82.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,998 OMR 769

$7,981 €6,872

-74.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,228 OMR 472

$4,533 €3,903

-72.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,779 OMR 685

$1,628 €1,402

9.28%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $257 in Salalah and $1,603 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salalah pays 9% 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 $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $268 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 98% in total monthly costs ($1,117 vs $2,217 including rent). Salalah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Salalah pays 9% 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: $257 in Salalah versus $1,603 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $113 in Salalah versus $610 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 $1,117 in Salalah versus $2,217 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 98% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.