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: $2,216 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,511 in Abu Dhabi versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,805 in Abu Dhabi versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs are close between Abu Dhabi and Lisbon; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abu Dhabi 65% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.90 AED 40.04

$15.91 €13.70

-31.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 AED 246

$64.8 €55.8

3.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 AED 34.76

$10.51 €9.05

-9.90%

Cappuccino

$5.75 AED 21.11

$2.87 €2.47

100.35%

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

$1.26 AED 4.64

$2.24 €1.93

-43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 AED 1.49

$1.50 €1.29

-72.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.76 AED 39.52

$3.49 €3.01

208.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.91 AED 40.06

$3.88 €3.34

181.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 AED 7.11

$1.14 €0.98

70.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 AED 5.69

$1.75 €1.51

-11.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 AED 8.74

$1.76 €1.51

35.23%

Eggs

$3.56 AED 13.07

$3.22 €2.77

10.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 AED 40.32

$13.49 €11.61

-18.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 AED 32.21

$7.91 €6.81

10.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.27 AED 41.37

$15.87 €13.67

-28.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 AED 9.19

$2.31 €1.99

8.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.70 €1.46

6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 AED 6.94

$2.01 €1.73

-5.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$2.46 €2.12

-39.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.15

$1.84 €1.59

-38.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 AED 5.13

$2.00 €1.72

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 AED 6.85

$1.93 €1.66

-3.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.17

$0.79 €0.68

-25.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.13 AED 22.51

$6.61 €5.69

-7.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 AED 50.2

$5.72 €4.93

139.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 AED 8.64

$1.37 €1.18

71.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 AED 7.96

$2.97 €2.56

-26.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 AED 2.58

$2.37 €2.04

-70.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 AED 93.5

$45.56 €39.22

-44.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 AED 12.15

$4.29 €3.69

-22.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 AED 1.93

$0.82 €0.70

-36.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 AED 30.57

$18.30 €15.76

-54.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 AED 2.98

$2.06 €1.78

-60.68%

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

$45.7K AED 167.7K

$34.3K €29.5K

33.17%

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

$22.2K AED 81.5K

$39.3K €33.8K

-43.50%

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

$143 AED 524

$148 €127

-3.50%

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

$50.7 AED 186

$20.52 €17.67

147.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 373

$39.61 €34.10

156.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.4 AED 240

$47.85 €41.19

36.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.65 AED 127

$18.92 €16.29

83.14%

Cinema Ticket

$13.41 AED 49.24

$9.18 €7.91

46.08%

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

$640 AED 2,352

$614 €529

4.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K AED 45.2K

$16.0K €13.8K

-23.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 AED 210

$105 €90.1

-45.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 AED 210

$42.06 €36.21

35.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 AED 338

$94.0 €80.9

-2.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 AED 328

$120 €103

-25.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 AED 5,409

$1,628 €1,401

-9.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 AED 4,042

$1,255 €1,081

-12.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,047 AED 11.2K

$3,030 €2,609

0.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,288 AED 8,403

$2,020 €1,739

13.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,700 AED 17.3K

$7,800 €6,715

-39.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,933 AED 10.8K

$4,273 €3,678

-31.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,776 AED 10.2K

$1,603 €1,380

73.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.19

3.81

36.22%

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

Last update for Abu Dhabi: May 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,473 in Abu Dhabi and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abu Dhabi pays 73% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67.0 in Abu Dhabi vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon 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

Abu Dhabi pays 73% 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: $1,473 in Abu Dhabi versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $640 in Abu Dhabi versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $67.0 in Abu Dhabi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,216 in Abu Dhabi, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Abu Dhabi. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,210 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Abu Dhabi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.