Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ras al-Khaimah Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ras al-Khaimah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,943 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,976 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $4,008 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 18% more expensive than in Ras al-Khaimah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Ras al-Khaimah 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$13.47 AED 49.46

20.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$49.37 AED 181

28.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$6.96 AED 25.56

48.28%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$5.55 AED 20.37

-49.01%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.32 AED 4.83

73.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.72 AED 2.63

119.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$10.87 AED 39.92

-68.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$10.05 AED 36.91

-59.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.57 AED 5.75

-30.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.45 AED 5.32

20.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.70 AED 6.24

3.53%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.21 AED 8.11

43.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$12.84 AED 47.15

2.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$7.59 AED 27.87

5.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$15.28 AED 56.1

1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.19 AED 8.03

8.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.76 AED 6.47

-2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.51 AED 5.54

33.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$1.31 AED 4.80

85.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.97 AED 3.55

81.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.03 AED 3.80

97.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.80 AED 6.60

6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.51 AED 1.86

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$6.29 AED 23.10

4.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$13.51 AED 49.60

-58.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.63 AED 9.67

-49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.96 AED 10.87

0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.36 AED 8.68

-3.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$64.3 AED 236

-28.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.54 AED 5.65

174.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.93 AED 3.41

-12.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$8.41 AED 30.90

119.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.80 AED 2.93

160.00%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$46.3K AED 169.9K

-25.05%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$22.4K AED 82.3K

74.69%

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

$148 €129

$149 AED 549

-0.90%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$45.04 AED 165

-54.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$101 AED 371

-60.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$56.3 AED 207

-14.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$41.13 AED 151

-54.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$13.44 AED 49.35

-31.40%

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

$616 €538

$248 AED 912

148.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,208 AED 19.1K

215.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$117 AED 430

-12.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$53.7 AED 197

-22.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$137 AED 502

-30.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$136 AED 498

-10.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$718 AED 2,637

127.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$783 AED 2,874

57.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$1,994 AED 7,322

55.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$1,512 AED 5,554

34.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$4,828 AED 17.7K

62.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$1,965 AED 7,217

123.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$1,571 AED 5,770

2.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.88

-21.93%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $718 in Ras al-Khaimah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2% 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 $49.00 in Ras al-Khaimah. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $267, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ras al-Khaimah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ras al-Khaimah differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,943 including rent). Ras al-Khaimah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $718 in Ras al-Khaimah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $248 in Ras al-Khaimah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,943 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ras al-Khaimah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ras al-Khaimah 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 Ras al-Khaimah 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 Ras al-Khaimah 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.