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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $2,788 in Ajman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $5,183 in Ajman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $7,577 in Ajman.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 20% less than in Ajman, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Ajman 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.81

$5.89 AED 21.62

174.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.1

$27.46 AED 101

135.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.86

$8.27 AED 30.34

25.51%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.81 AED 13.99

-27.30%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.82 AED 3.02

174.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.34

$0.40 AED 1.48

292.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.98

$10.69 AED 39.23

-67.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.42

$10.78 AED 39.55

-62.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.22 AED 8.16

-51.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.23 AED 4.52

41.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.48

$1.43 AED 5.25

21.68%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.71

$1.87 AED 6.87

70.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.47

$9.26 AED 33.97

45.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.83

$6.52 AED 23.93

22.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.74

$7.62 AED 27.98

111.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.70 AED 6.23

34.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.30 AED 4.76

32.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.43 AED 5.25

35.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$1.09 AED 4.00

133.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$0.96 AED 3.53

90.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$0.97 AED 3.57

110.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.75 AED 2.76

164.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.57 AED 2.11

49.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.85

$6.17 AED 22.64

11.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.93

$10.93 AED 40.10

-47.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.61 AED 5.89

-14.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.66 AED 9.75

9.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$4.00 AED 14.67

-43.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.00

$63.5 AED 233

-26.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.48

$3.64 AED 13.35

12.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.71 AED 2.60

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.60

$7.95 AED 29.17

129.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$0.76 AED 2.79

164.47%

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

$35.3K €30.1K

$46.2K AED 169.4K

-23.61%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$23.1K AED 84.9K

66.33%

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

$145 €124

$138 AED 508

5.01%

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

$20.96 €17.90

$60.9 AED 224

-65.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.21

$109 AED 399

-63.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.66

$164 AED 603

-70.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.97

$3.52 AED 12.92

430.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.74

$13.84 AED 50.8

-34.54%

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

$607 €518

$593 AED 2,178

2.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €13.9K

$5,829 AED 21.4K

180.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.4

$58.5 AED 215

78.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €34.97

$62.3 AED 229

-34.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €79.9

$83.9 AED 308

11.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$92.8 AED 341

27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,370

$3,311 AED 12.2K

-51.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,055

$1,641 AED 6,024

-24.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,601

$5,617 AED 20.6K

-45.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,756

$5,304 AED 19.5K

-61.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,583

$2,262 AED 8,302

240.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,644

$1,392 AED 5,110

206.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,353

$2,226 AED 8,168

-28.83%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Ajman: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $3,311 in Ajman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ajman pays 40% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in Ajman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $208 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 25% 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 40% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $3,311 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $593 in Ajman. 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 $2,227 in Lisbon versus $2,788 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 $2,227 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 25% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.