Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mussaffah Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mussaffah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,953 in Mussaffah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $3,399 in Mussaffah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $4,846 in Mussaffah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 18% more expensive than in Mussaffah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Mussaffah 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$6.80 AED 24.97

158.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$36.45 AED 134

72.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$9.77 AED 35.89

18.53%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.88 AED 17.92

-36.48%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.86 AED 3.17

189.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.31 AED 1.12

461.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$9.75 AED 35.81

-64.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$9.81 AED 36.03

-64.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.83 AED 6.73

-37.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.13 AED 4.15

69.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.86 AED 6.84

-19.35%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.93 AED 10.75

35.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$9.13 AED 33.53

45.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$6.95 AED 25.52

15.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$10.29 AED 37.78

75.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.19 AED 8.05

7.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.73 AED 6.36

1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.51 AED 5.54

22.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.38 AED 5.05

84.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.06 AED 3.91

73.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.18 AED 4.33

77.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.56 AED 5.71

-4.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.56 AED 2.07

46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$6.35 AED 23.32

11.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$13.84 AED 50.8

-57.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.45 AED 9.01

-46.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.56 AED 9.42

-16.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.13 AED 7.84

10.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$41.37 AED 152

12.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$3.21 AED 11.77

27.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.57 AED 2.08

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$8.28 AED 30.40

106.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.91 AED 3.33

153.85%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$30.3K AED 111.2K

12.73%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$21.6K AED 79.4K

91.28%

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

$169 €147

$183 AED 672

-7.93%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$58.2 AED 214

-66.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$95.4 AED 350

-64.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$57.9 AED 213

-15.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$27.97 AED 103

-30.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$13.51 AED 49.60

-29.16%

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

$696 €606

$688 AED 2,526

1.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$8,490 AED 31.2K

104.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$58.3 AED 214

80.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$49.32 AED 181

-3.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$108 AED 395

-6.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$95.6 AED 351

30.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$820 AED 3,010

102.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$900 AED 3,304

38.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$1,793 AED 6,586

65.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$2,716 AED 9,976

-24.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$4,936 AED 18.1K

58.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$2,306 AED 8,470

93.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$2,933 AED 10.8K

-44.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.58

-17.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Mussaffah: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $820 in Mussaffah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mussaffah 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 $36.00 in Mussaffah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $240 per month, with Mussaffah 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 Mussaffah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mussaffah differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,953 including rent). Mussaffah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Mussaffah. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $820 in Mussaffah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $688 in Mussaffah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,953 in Mussaffah versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mussaffah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mussaffah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Mussaffah 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 Mussaffah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.