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: $2,373 in Ajman versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,512 in Ajman versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,651 in Ajman versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Ajman is roughly 5% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ajman 72% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.88 AED 21.60

$17.55 €15.12

-66.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.90 AED 98.8

$64.5 €55.6

-58.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 AED 29.72

$11.65 €10.04

-30.56%

Cappuccino

$3.76 AED 13.82

$3.26 €2.81

15.34%

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

$0.79 AED 2.90

$2.49 €2.15

-68.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 AED 1.35

$1.67 €1.44

-77.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.88 AED 39.96

$3.47 €2.99

213.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.33 AED 45.29

$3.58 €3.08

244.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 AED 7.07

$1.18 €1.02

63.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 AED 4.70

$1.95 €1.68

-34.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 AED 5.67

$1.56 €1.35

-1.28%

Eggs

$1.95 AED 7.17

$4.01 €3.46

-51.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 AED 28.90

$13.27 €11.44

-40.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 AED 20.26

$8.42 €7.26

-34.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 AED 29.96

$18.23 €15.72

-55.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 AED 6.86

$2.32 €2.00

-19.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 AED 4.65

$1.73 €1.49

-26.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.49

$1.93 €1.67

-22.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 AED 3.28

$2.64 €2.27

-66.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.70

$1.90 €1.64

-46.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 AED 3.97

$2.11 €1.82

-48.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 AED 3.05

$1.44 €1.24

-42.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 AED 1.93

$0.80 €0.69

-33.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 AED 23.32

$7.01 €6.04

-9.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 AED 39.60

$5.92 €5.11

82.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 AED 6.06

$1.36 €1.18

21.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 AED 8.17

$2.15 €1.85

3.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.09 AED 15.03

$2.38 €2.05

71.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 AED 253

$46.22 €39.85

48.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 AED 13.08

$4.19 €3.61

-15.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 AED 2.46

$1.10 €0.95

-39.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 AED 30.74

$17.26 €14.88

-51.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$2.25 €1.94

-64.00%

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

$44.8K AED 164.5K

$34.5K €29.7K

29.94%

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

$22.2K AED 81.6K

$41.6K €35.9K

-46.62%

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

$151 AED 553

$171 €147

-11.82%

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

$50.5 AED 185

$19.01 €16.38

165.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 AED 312

$34.28 €29.55

147.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.4 AED 292

$49.65 €42.80

59.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.01 AED 36.75

$19.51 €16.81

-48.69%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 AED 50.7

$10.10 €8.71

36.63%

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

$475 AED 1,746

$699 €603

-32.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,735 AED 21.1K

$17.8K €15.3K

-67.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 AED 208

$105 €90.2

-45.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 AED 222

$47.97 €41.35

25.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 AED 315

$102 €87.8

-15.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 AED 339

$128 €111

-28.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,495 AED 9,164

$1,661 €1,432

50.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 AED 4,931

$1,228 €1,059

9.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 AED 6,629

$2,915 €2,513

-38.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,603 AED 16.9K

$2,023 €1,744

127.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,273 AED 8,348

$8,129 €7,007

-72.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,434 AED 5,267

$4,635 €3,996

-69.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,226 AED 8,175

$1,619 €1,396

37.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

32.28%

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

Last update for Ajman: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,495 in Ajman and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ajman pays 37% 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 $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $281 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 5% 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.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Ajman, 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: $2,495 in Ajman versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $475 in Ajman versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ajman pay roughly 42% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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, 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 5% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.