Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sharjah Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sharjah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,796 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,573 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,349 in Sharjah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 28% more expensive than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Sharjah 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$5.34 AED 19.60

229.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$36.04 AED 132

74.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$8.11 AED 29.78

42.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 AED 34.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 AED 35.36

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.54 AED 13.00

-12.43%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.80 AED 2.93

211.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.32 AED 1.17

443.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.50 AED 5.52

-23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.19 AED 4.37

60.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.82 AED 6.68

-17.58%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.95 AED 10.85

34.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$8.58 AED 31.50

54.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$6.98 AED 25.64

14.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$11.23 AED 41.24

60.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.25 AED 8.28

4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.66 AED 6.08

5.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.53 AED 5.63

20.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.34 AED 4.93

90.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.06 AED 3.89

73.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.17 AED 4.30

79.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.47 AED 5.39

1.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.57 AED 2.11

43.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.42 AED 56.6

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 AED 9.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 AED 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$6.55 AED 24.06

8.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.22 AED 8.13

6.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$26.81 AED 98.5

73.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$3.71 AED 13.62

9.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.56 AED 2.06

103.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$12.00 AED 44.07

42.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.98 AED 3.58

135.71%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$45.4K AED 166.8K

-24.86%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$22.1K AED 81.3K

86.92%

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

$169 €147

$209 AED 766

-19.23%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$49.53 AED 182

-60.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$97.8 AED 359

-65.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$54.3 AED 200

-10.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$21.66 AED 79.5

-10.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$13.45 AED 49.40

-28.85%

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

$696 €607

$323 AED 1,186

115.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$8,883 AED 32.6K

95.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$59.3 AED 218

77.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$77.0 AED 283

-38.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$109 AED 401

-7.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$94.6 AED 347

31.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$831 AED 3,053

99.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$901 AED 3,310

38.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,823 AED 6,694

62.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,419 AED 5,211

44.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$8,211 AED 30.2K

-4.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,718 AED 9,981

64.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$2,184 AED 8,020

-25.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.5

-16.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $831 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 34% 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 Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $193 per month, with Sharjah 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 Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sharjah differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,796 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Sharjah. 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 $831 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $323 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,796 in Sharjah versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sharjah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sharjah 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 Sharjah 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 Sharjah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.