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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $2,787 in Ajman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $5,154 in Ajman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $7,520 in Ajman.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 18% less than in Ajman, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Ajman 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$6.11 AED 22.44

157.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$27.19 AED 99.9

133.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$8.23 AED 30.21

26.97%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.69 AED 13.56

-21.14%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.88 AED 3.23

160.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.38 AED 1.39

294.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$10.99 AED 40.35

-67.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$11.10 AED 40.77

-64.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.25 AED 8.27

-52.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.22 AED 4.50

44.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.46 AED 5.37

16.44%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.83 AED 6.71

77.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$8.88 AED 32.61

49.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.73 AED 24.73

14.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$7.51 AED 27.58

109.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.73 AED 6.35

31.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.23 AED 4.53

34.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.44 AED 5.29

40.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.09 AED 3.99

126.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.93 AED 3.41

92.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.01 AED 3.71

104.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.79 AED 2.91

149.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.62 AED 2.26

33.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$6.25 AED 22.95

4.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$10.96 AED 40.26

-49.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.54 AED 5.64

-13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.79 AED 10.25

7.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$4.13 AED 15.15

-45.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$63.3 AED 232

-26.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.59 AED 13.20

17.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.70 AED 2.57

21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$8.06 AED 29.59

133.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.76 AED 2.78

165.79%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$46.3K AED 170.0K

-24.49%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$23.6K AED 86.9K

67.64%

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

$148 €128

$142 AED 520

4.46%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$62.4 AED 229

-67.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$111 AED 409

-64.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$164 AED 604

-70.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$3.72 AED 13.65

394.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$13.78 AED 50.6

-33.96%

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

$615 €532

$585 AED 2,149

5.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$5,771 AED 21.2K

182.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$57.9 AED 213

75.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$61.8 AED 227

-31.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$84.7 AED 311

8.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$93.4 AED 343

30.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$3,357 AED 12.3K

-51.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$1,625 AED 5,968

-22.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$5,750 AED 21.1K

-46.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$5,267 AED 19.3K

-61.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$2,272 AED 8,346

241.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,423 AED 5,227

201.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$2,226 AED 8,177

-28.05%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ajman: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $3,357 in Ajman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ajman pays 39% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in Ajman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $209 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 22% 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, salaries run 39% lower in Ajman. 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $3,357 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $585 in Ajman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ajman pay roughly 28% 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 $2,280 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 22% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.