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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,745 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,761 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,777 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 33% more expensive than in Ras al-Khaimah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Ras al-Khaimah 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$12.04 AED 44.22

43.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$45.52 AED 167

38.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$7.48 AED 27.45

52.27%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$5.51 AED 20.24

-42.11%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.11 AED 4.07

120.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.44 AED 1.60

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$10.06 AED 36.94

-64.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$9.78 AED 35.93

-65.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.71 AED 6.29

-27.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.06 AED 7.56

-3.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.88 AED 6.91

-19.15%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.42 AED 8.88

66.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$12.50 AED 45.90

8.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$9.68 AED 35.56

-13.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$15.75 AED 57.9

15.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.99 AED 7.30

15.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.59 AED 5.85

9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.50 AED 5.51

24.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.34 AED 4.93

96.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.97 AED 3.56

97.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.92 AED 3.38

127.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.75 AED 6.44

-17.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.48 AED 1.75

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$6.77 AED 24.87

0.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$13.66 AED 50.2

-58.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.52 AED 9.25

-45.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.86 AED 10.49

-22.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$2.13 AED 7.82

12.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$112 AED 411

-58.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.72 AED 6.30

142.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.79 AED 2.89

44.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$7.96 AED 29.23

122.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$0.89 AED 3.26

160.67%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$46.3K AED 169.9K

-23.62%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$21.8K AED 80.2K

89.83%

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

$170 €146

$124 AED 456

37.08%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$45.14 AED 166

-57.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$79.6 AED 292

-57.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$57.5 AED 211

-16.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$40.71 AED 150

-51.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$13.07 AED 48.00

-24.10%

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

$717 €617

$296 AED 1,086

142.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$4,411 AED 16.2K

296.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$82.5 AED 303

27.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$52.4 AED 192

-10.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$127 AED 466

-18.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$115 AED 422

7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$754 AED 2,768

122.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$581 AED 2,135

118.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,642 AED 6,029

81.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$1,268 AED 4,655

57.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$4,911 AED 18.0K

59.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,949 AED 7,157

139.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$1,584 AED 5,818

-0.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.92

-22.97%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $754 in Ras al-Khaimah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ras al-Khaimah pays 0% 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 $46.00 in Ras al-Khaimah. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $283, 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 33% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,745 including rent). Ras al-Khaimah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Ras al-Khaimah. 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $754 in Ras al-Khaimah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $296 in Ras al-Khaimah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,745 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $2,316 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 33% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.