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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,149 in Abu Dhabi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $3,434 in Abu Dhabi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $4,719 in Abu Dhabi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 7% more expensive than in Abu Dhabi, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Abu Dhabi 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$10.88 AED 39.95

48.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$69.2 AED 254

-8.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.70 AED 35.62

6.39%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$6.00 AED 22.05

-52.83%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.26 AED 4.62

81.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.44 AED 1.61

259.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$10.93 AED 40.15

-68.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$10.75 AED 39.48

-62.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.91 AED 7.02

-42.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.60 AED 5.86

9.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.43 AED 8.93

-27.57%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.68 AED 13.52

-13.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$10.59 AED 38.89

24.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$8.49 AED 31.17

-6.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$11.28 AED 41.44

37.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.38 AED 8.75

-0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.74 AED 6.39

-1.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.81 AED 6.64

11.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.51 AED 5.53

60.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.16 AED 4.28

51.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.40 AED 5.13

45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.86 AED 6.84

3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.59 AED 2.17

44.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.23 AED 22.90

5.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$13.52 AED 49.64

-58.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.32 AED 8.51

-42.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.26 AED 8.29

31.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.70 AED 2.55

225.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$25.96 AED 95.3

76.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.24 AED 11.91

30.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.56 AED 2.06

44.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$7.96 AED 29.22

131.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.75 AED 2.77

177.33%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$45.8K AED 168.2K

-24.31%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.6K AED 83.1K

73.13%

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

$148 €130

$143 AED 526

3.45%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$50.1 AED 184

-59.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$102 AED 376

-61.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$65.2 AED 240

-26.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$34.30 AED 126

-45.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$13.54 AED 49.73

-31.91%

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

$616 €540

$621 AED 2,282

-0.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$12.1K AED 44.3K

36.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$58.9 AED 216

74.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$56.1 AED 206

-25.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$93.4 AED 343

1.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$88.6 AED 326

37.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$1,481 AED 5,440

10.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$1,095 AED 4,021

12.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$3,073 AED 11.3K

0.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$2,310 AED 8,485

-12.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$4,810 AED 17.7K

62.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,843 AED 10.4K

54.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,887 AED 10.6K

-44.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.19

-26.59%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,481 in Abu Dhabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abu Dhabi pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $69.0 in Abu Dhabi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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

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

Abu Dhabi wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Abu Dhabi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Abu Dhabi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,481 in Abu Dhabi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Abu Dhabi runs roughly 76% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $621 in Abu Dhabi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,149 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Abu Dhabi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Abu Dhabi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Abu Dhabi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,149 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Abu Dhabi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Abu Dhabi 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 Abu Dhabi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.