Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajman and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajman and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,777 in Ajman versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,152 in Ajman versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,526 in Ajman versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Ajman is roughly 23% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ajman 107% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.17 AED 22.65

$15.94 €13.73

-61.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.30 AED 100

$63.4 €54.6

-56.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 AED 29.87

$10.38 €8.95

-21.68%

Cappuccino

$3.77 AED 13.84

$2.79 €2.40

35.13%

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

$0.83 AED 3.07

$2.34 €2.01

-64.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 AED 1.49

$1.57 €1.35

-73.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.83 AED 39.78

$3.43 €2.95

215.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.78 AED 39.58

$3.91 €3.37

175.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 AED 8.05

$1.08 €0.93

102.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 AED 4.33

$1.77 €1.52

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 AED 5.17

$1.71 €1.47

-17.54%

Eggs

$1.90 AED 6.99

$3.15 €2.71

-39.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 AED 32.86

$13.68 €11.79

-34.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 AED 24.41

$8.01 €6.90

-16.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 AED 27.99

$15.52 €13.37

-50.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 AED 6.13

$2.29 €1.98

-27.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 AED 4.58

$1.64 €1.41

-23.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 AED 5.34

$1.94 €1.67

-25.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 AED 3.87

$2.51 €2.17

-58.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 AED 3.38

$1.79 €1.54

-48.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 AED 3.76

$2.01 €1.73

-49.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 AED 2.94

$1.97 €1.69

-59.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 AED 2.23

$0.84 €0.73

-27.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 AED 23.12

$6.79 €5.85

-7.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.98 AED 40.33

$5.67 €4.89

93.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 AED 5.71

$1.39 €1.20

11.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 AED 9.82

$3.02 €2.60

-11.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 AED 15.43

$2.27 €1.95

85.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 AED 239

$45.44 €39.15

43.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 AED 12.93

$4.29 €3.70

-17.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.40

$0.85 €0.73

-23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 AED 29.46

$18.28 €15.75

-56.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 AED 2.83

$1.99 €1.71

-61.31%

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

$45.6K AED 167.5K

$35.0K €30.2K

30.15%

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

$23.5K AED 86.4K

$39.5K €34.1K

-40.51%

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

$140 AED 515

$146 €126

-4.13%

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

$62.8 AED 231

$20.45 €17.62

207.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$108 AED 398

$38.98 €33.58

177.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$166 AED 611

$48.98 €42.21

239.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.54 AED 13.00

$18.83 €16.22

-81.20%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 AED 49.44

$9.52 €8.21

41.39%

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

$579 AED 2,128

$608 €524

-4.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,745 AED 21.1K

$16.5K €14.2K

-65.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 AED 213

$104 €89.5

-44.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 AED 226

$42.12 €36.29

46.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 AED 316

$92.2 €79.5

-6.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 AED 350

$120 €103

-20.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,269 AED 12.0K

$1,621 €1,397

101.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 AED 5,990

$1,268 €1,092

28.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,713 AED 21.0K

$3,048 €2,626

87.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,363 AED 19.7K

$2,009 €1,731

166.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,245 AED 8,245

$7,663 €6,602

-70.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,385 AED 5,085

$4,329 €3,730

-68.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 AED 8,229

$1,585 €1,366

41.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

3.81

18.90%

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

Last update for Ajman: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,269 in Ajman and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ajman pays 41% 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: $27.00 in Ajman vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $269 per month, with Ajman 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

Ajman vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Ajman. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Ajman pays 41% 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: $3,269 in Ajman versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $579 in Ajman versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ajman pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,263 in Lisbon versus $2,777 in Ajman, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Ajman. 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 $2,263 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ajman 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 23% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.