Cost of Living Comparison Between Abu Dhabi and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Abu Dhabi and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,569 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,860 in Abu Dhabi versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,150 in Abu Dhabi versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Abu Dhabi is roughly 13% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abu Dhabi 86% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.26 AED 30.35

$17.55 €15.12

-52.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 AED 224

$64.5 €55.6

-5.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 AED 35.35

$11.65 €10.04

-17.34%

Cappuccino

$5.85 AED 21.47

$3.26 €2.81

79.45%

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

$1.20 AED 4.39

$2.49 €2.15

-51.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 AED 1.60

$1.67 €1.44

-73.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 AED 42.63

$3.47 €2.99

234.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.76 AED 39.50

$3.58 €3.08

200.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 AED 7.00

$1.18 €1.02

61.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.76

$1.95 €1.68

-19.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 AED 7.77

$1.56 €1.35

35.90%

Eggs

$3.38 AED 12.43

$4.01 €3.46

-15.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 AED 44.61

$13.27 €11.44

-8.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.09 AED 37.06

$8.42 €7.26

19.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.50 AED 38.58

$18.23 €15.72

-42.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.44

$2.32 €2.00

10.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 AED 7.13

$1.73 €1.49

12.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 AED 6.80

$1.93 €1.67

-4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.44

$2.64 €2.27

-43.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 AED 4.37

$1.90 €1.64

-37.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.33

$2.11 €1.82

-44.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 AED 6.29

$1.44 €1.24

18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 AED 2.07

$0.80 €0.69

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 AED 24.77

$7.01 €6.04

-3.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 AED 49.49

$5.92 €5.11

127.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 AED 9.65

$1.36 €1.18

93.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 AED 9.47

$2.15 €1.85

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 AED 2.45

$2.38 €2.05

-71.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.76 AED 94.6

$46.22 €39.85

-44.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 AED 12.20

$4.19 €3.61

-20.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 AED 1.90

$1.10 €0.95

-52.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 AED 30.29

$17.26 €14.88

-52.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 AED 3.29

$2.25 €1.94

-60.44%

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

$30.0K AED 110.1K

$34.5K €29.7K

-13.02%

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

$22.8K AED 83.7K

$41.6K €35.9K

-45.26%

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

$182 AED 668

$171 €147

6.40%

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

$58.4 AED 214

$19.01 €16.38

207.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.7 AED 311

$34.28 €29.55

147.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.5 AED 336

$49.65 €42.80

84.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.31 AED 177

$19.51 €16.81

147.62%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 AED 55.4

$10.10 €8.71

49.41%

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

$739 AED 2,714

$699 €603

5.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K AED 55.2K

$17.8K €15.3K

-15.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 AED 239

$105 €90.2

-37.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.33 AED 181

$47.97 €41.35

2.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 AED 400

$102 €87.8

7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 AED 414

$128 €111

-12.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,969 AED 7,231

$1,661 €1,432

18.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 AED 4,985

$1,228 €1,059

10.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 AED 14.7K

$2,915 €2,513

36.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,725 AED 10.0K

$2,023 €1,744

34.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,953 AED 18.2K

$8,129 €7,007

-39.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,877 AED 10.6K

$4,635 €3,996

-37.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,905 AED 10.7K

$1,619 €1,396

79.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

3.78

21.16%

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

Last update for Abu Dhabi: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,969 in Abu Dhabi and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abu Dhabi pays 79% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Abu Dhabi vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $281 per month, with Abu Dhabi 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

Abu Dhabi vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Abu Dhabi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Abu Dhabi, 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: $1,969 in Abu Dhabi versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 79% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $739 in Abu Dhabi versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,268 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Abu Dhabi 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.