Cost of Living Comparison Between Salmiya and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Salmiya and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,621 in Salmiya versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,442 in Salmiya versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,264 in Salmiya versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Salmiya costs roughly 30% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Salmiya 18% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.51 KWD 2.93

$17.30 €14.89

-45.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 KWD 14.90

$63.3 €54.4

-23.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 KWD 2.57

$11.39 €9.80

-26.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 KWD 0.81

Cappuccino

$5.08 KWD 1.57

$3.19 €2.75

59.25%

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

$0.45 KWD 0.14

$2.45 €2.10

-81.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 KWD 0.10

$1.76 €1.52

-80.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 KWD 0.51

$1.24 €1.06

32.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 KWD 0.22

$1.98 €1.71

-63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 KWD 0.59

$1.52 €1.31

25.00%

Eggs

$2.06 KWD 0.64

$4.04 €3.48

-49.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.29 KWD 1.32

$13.54 €11.65

-68.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 KWD 2.11

$8.39 €7.22

-18.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 KWD 3.13

$18.25 €15.70

-44.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 KWD 0.77

$2.29 €1.97

8.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 KWD 0.59

$1.74 €1.50

10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 KWD 0.56

$1.86 €1.60

-1.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 KWD 0.48

$2.63 €2.26

-40.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 KWD 0.41

$1.92 €1.65

-31.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 KWD 0.46

$2.09 €1.80

-28.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 KWD 0.71

$1.44 €1.24

59.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 KWD 0.14

$0.84 €0.72

-44.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.93 KWD 0.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 KWD 0.87

$6.78 €5.83

-58.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 KWD 0.35

$2.40 €2.06

-52.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.77 KWD 14.74

$46.78 €40.25

2.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 KWD 1.01

$4.17 €3.59

-21.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.30 KWD 1.02

$1.14 €0.98

189.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.49 KWD 3.24

$17.68 €15.21

-40.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

$2.32 €2.00

-85.78%

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

$19.4K KWD 6,000

$35.3K €30.4K

-44.96%

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

$20.5K KWD 6,340

$41.4K €35.7K

-50.42%

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

$49.47 KWD 15.26

$170 €147

-70.96%

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

$22.42 KWD 6.92

$19.34 €16.64

15.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 KWD 9.16

$33.64 €28.95

-11.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$155 KWD 47.83

$48.10 €41.39

222.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.08 KWD 4.96

$19.90 €17.12

-19.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 KWD 3.55

$9.92 €8.54

16.13%

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

$299 KWD 92.2

$717 €617

-58.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,556 KWD 2,331

$17.5K €15.0K

-56.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.25 KWD 11.80

$105 €90.2

-63.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.73 KWD 12.26

$46.95 €40.40

-15.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 KWD 30.89

$103 €89.0

-3.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 KWD 27.28

$124 €107

-28.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 KWD 330

$1,677 €1,443

-36.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 KWD 256

$1,271 €1,094

-34.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 KWD 763

$2,985 €2,568

-17.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 KWD 410

$1,992 €1,715

-33.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,114 KWD 652

$1,583 €1,362

33.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

3.79

72.30%

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

Last update for Salmiya: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Salmiya and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salmiya pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Salmiya vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $283 per month, with Salmiya 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

Salmiya vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salmiya and Lisbon differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,621 vs $2,316 including rent). Salmiya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Salmiya, 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: $1,069 in Salmiya versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Salmiya versus $717 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 $1,621 in Salmiya versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Salmiya but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salmiya 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, Salmiya 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 Salmiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.