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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $2,752 in Ajman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $5,097 in Ajman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $7,442 in Ajman.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 19% less than in Ajman, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Ajman 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$5.87 AED 21.54

168.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$27.35 AED 100

128.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$8.16 AED 29.96

29.17%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$3.68 AED 13.52

-24.73%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$0.82 AED 3.02

178.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.40 AED 1.47

287.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$11.03 AED 40.50

-67.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$10.79 AED 39.61

-63.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.26 AED 8.28

-52.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.23 AED 4.52

43.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.46 AED 5.35

21.23%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$1.89 AED 6.95

65.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$9.23 AED 33.90

44.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$6.39 AED 23.45

25.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$7.34 AED 26.95

116.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.66 AED 6.08

37.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.24 AED 4.57

32.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.38 AED 5.06

43.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.05 AED 3.84

133.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.97 AED 3.57

82.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.99 AED 3.63

98.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.76 AED 2.79

159.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.61 AED 2.25

31.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$6.33 AED 23.24

3.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$10.91 AED 40.07

-47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.61 AED 5.92

-18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.78 AED 10.20

7.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$4.19 AED 15.39

-44.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$64.8 AED 238

-29.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$3.62 AED 13.30

17.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.71 AED 2.59

18.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$8.26 AED 30.34

128.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.77 AED 2.83

168.83%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$44.9K AED 164.8K

-21.47%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$23.1K AED 85.0K

66.90%

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

$151 €130

$141 AED 517

7.31%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$61.3 AED 225

-65.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$109 AED 399

-63.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$166 AED 608

-70.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$3.66 AED 13.43

408.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$13.64 AED 50.1

-33.72%

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

$610 €525

$586 AED 2,151

4.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$5,632 AED 20.7K

188.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$59.3 AED 218

70.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$60.8 AED 223

-33.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$86.7 AED 318

7.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$95.7 AED 351

24.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$3,355 AED 12.3K

-52.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$1,648 AED 6,053

-24.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$5,803 AED 21.3K

-47.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$5,213 AED 19.1K

-60.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$2,272 AED 8,344

251.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$1,420 AED 5,217

219.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$2,224 AED 8,169

-26.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.53

-15.89%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Ajman: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $3,355 in Ajman. 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in Ajman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $207 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

Lisbon vs Ajman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 24% 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.

On paper, Ajman earns 37% less. 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $3,355 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $586 in Ajman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ajman pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,217 in Lisbon versus $2,752 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 $2,217 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Ajman 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 24% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.