Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salalah and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Salalah: $1,059 a month against $2,203 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Salalah
🇴🇲 Oman
$1,059
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,203
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salalah and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Salalah and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,059 in Salalah versus $2,203 in Lisbon.

  • Salalah $1,059
  • Lisbon $2,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Salalah versus $3,237 in Lisbon.

  • Salalah $1,599
  • Lisbon $3,237

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,138 in Salalah versus $4,272 in Lisbon.

  • Salalah $2,138
  • Lisbon $4,272

Living in Salalah costs roughly 52% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Salalah is 21% below, Lisbon is 64% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Salalah
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.31 OMR 2.05
$17.01 €15.18
-68.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.43 OMR 10.17
$62.7 €56.0
-57.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.97 OMR 4.99
$11.42 €10.19
13.57%
Cappuccino
$6.09 OMR 2.34
$3.09 €2.76
97.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 OMR 0.35
$2.37 €2.11
-62.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 OMR 0.10
$1.66 €1.48
-84.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.33 OMR 3.59
$3.46 €3.09
169.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.30 OMR 3.96
$3.29 €2.93
213.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Salalah
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.93 OMR 0.74
$1.17 €1.04
64.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.23 OMR 0.47
$1.87 €1.66
-34.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.66 OMR 1.03
$1.52 €1.36
75.00%
Eggs
$1.82 OMR 0.70
$3.88 €3.46
-53.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.58 OMR 1.76
$12.87 €11.49
-64.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.62 OMR 1.78
$7.94 €7.08
-41.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.61 OMR 2.55
$17.63 €15.73
-62.51%
Apples (1kg)
$1.91 OMR 0.74
$2.26 €2.01
-15.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 OMR 0.72
$1.76 €1.57
6.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 OMR 0.82
$1.88 €1.68
12.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.87 OMR 0.72
$2.47 €2.20
-24.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 OMR 0.59
$1.86 €1.66
-18.28%
Onion (1kg)
$1.03 OMR 0.40
$2.07 €1.85
-50.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.04 OMR 0.40
$1.39 €1.24
-25.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 OMR 0.18
$0.81 €0.73
-40.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.84 OMR 2.25
$6.89 €6.15
-15.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.73 OMR 7.60
$5.53 €4.93
256.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.81 OMR 1.47
$1.33 €1.19
186.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.76 OMR 1.83
$2.17 €1.93
119.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Salalah
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.32 OMR 0.51
$2.24 €2.00
-41.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.3 OMR 21.27
$45.14 €40.29
22.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.31 OMR 0.89
$4.00 €3.57
-42.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.32 OMR 0.51
$1.07 €0.95
23.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.49 OMR 4.42
$16.53 €14.75
-30.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.61 OMR 0.23
$2.26 €2.02
-73.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.8K OMR 8,004
$33.5K €29.9K
-37.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.3K OMR 7,048
$40.5K €36.1K
-54.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Salalah
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$78.1 OMR 30.07
$164 €146
-52.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$49.55 OMR 19.08
$18.54 €16.55
167.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.3 OMR 28.59
$33.21 €29.64
123.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Salalah
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.58 OMR 15.24
$46.01 €41.06
-13.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.22 OMR 10.10
$18.80 €16.78
39.47%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 OMR 3.01
$9.47 €8.45
-17.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Salalah
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$106 OMR 40.78
$690 €615
-84.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,942 OMR 747
$16.9K €15.0K
-88.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Salalah
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.74 OMR 11.06
$105 €93.4
-72.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.76 OMR 11.84
$45.27 €40.40
-32.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$57.8 OMR 22.23
$99.0 €88.3
-41.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$46.20 OMR 17.79
$124 €111
-62.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Salalah
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$251 OMR 96.5
$1,583 €1,413
-84.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$205 OMR 79.0
$1,209 €1,079
-83.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$642 OMR 247
$2,833 €2,528
-77.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 OMR 147
$1,964 €1,753
-80.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,981 OMR 763
$7,643 €6,821
-74.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,240 OMR 477
$4,431 €3,954
-72.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Salalah
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,771 OMR 682
$1,573 €1,403
12.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.58
3.79
20.84%

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

Last update for Salalah: October 6, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Salalah
$229
Lisbon
$272 18.6% $43
Eating Out
Salalah
$226
Lisbon
$247 9.3% $21
Accommodation & Living
Salalah
$205
Lisbon
$1.2K 489% $1K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Salalah
$202
Lisbon
$215 6.7% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Salalah
$74
Lisbon
$168 128% $94
Getting Around
Salalah
$69
Lisbon
$63 8.7% $6
Sport & Entertainment
Salalah
$55
Lisbon
$65 17.7% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $251 in Salalah and $1,583 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salalah pays 13% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $272 per month, with Salalah cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇴🇲 Salalah
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
06:26 6:26 AM
03:26 3:26 AM
3 h behind Salalah
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
178,469
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.432 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Salalah Lisbon 6,530 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Salalah
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Salalah and in Lisbon?
Salalah and Lisbon differ by about 108% in total monthly costs ($1,059 vs $2,203 including rent). Salalah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Salalah or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 13% higher in Salalah, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Salalah and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $251 in Salalah versus $1,583 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Salalah and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $106 in Salalah versus $690 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,059 in Salalah versus $2,203 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.
How does quality of life compare between Salalah and Lisbon?
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.
Is Salalah or Lisbon safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Salalah or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Salalah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Salalah vs other spots: cost of living compared

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