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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,591 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,266 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,940 in Sharjah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 44% more expensive than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Sharjah 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$5.33 AED 19.59

203.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$32.93 AED 121

92.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.28 AED 34.07

11.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.68 AED 35.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 AED 35.38

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$4.29 AED 15.74

-34.03%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.96 AED 3.54

138.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.35 AED 1.28

351.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.70 AED 6.26

-35.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.19 AED 4.36

47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.06 AED 7.55

-14.56%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.73 AED 10.01

16.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$10.48 AED 38.48

25.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.83 AED 25.08

16.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$8.58 AED 31.53

81.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.85 AED 6.81

28.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.55 AED 5.69

10.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.41 AED 5.17

42.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.17 AED 4.29

107.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.00 AED 3.68

76.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.17 AED 4.31

73.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.46 AED 5.38

31.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.65 AED 2.37

30.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.77 AED 57.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 AED 6.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 AED 12.28

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.57 AED 24.14

0.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.61 AED 5.90

41.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$41.24 AED 151

11.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.73 AED 13.71

13.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.65 AED 2.37

24.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$5.02 AED 18.42

267.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.82 AED 3.00

153.66%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$44.5K AED 163.3K

-22.04%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.0K AED 81.0K

77.66%

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

$148 €130

$201 AED 737

-26.20%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$64.9 AED 238

-68.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$104 AED 382

-62.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$62.4 AED 229

-23.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$37.36 AED 137

-50.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$12.91 AED 47.41

-28.58%

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

$616 €540

$276 AED 1,014

123.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,972 AED 21.9K

175.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$51.8 AED 190

98.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$96.5 AED 354

-56.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$95.8 AED 352

-1.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$80.0 AED 294

52.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$769 AED 2,825

112.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$594 AED 2,180

107.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,592 AED 5,847

94.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,041 AED 3,822

95.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$8,094 AED 29.7K

-3.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,749 AED 10.1K

59.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,206 AED 8,104

-27.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.42

-13.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $769 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 37% 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 $33.00 in Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $188 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 44% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,591 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $769 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $276 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,591 in Sharjah versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 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 44% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.