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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,547 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,247 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,946 in Sharjah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 43% more expensive than Sharjah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Sharjah 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$5.35 AED 19.64

197.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$33.06 AED 121

95.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.53 AED 34.99

10.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.48 AED 34.82

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.41 AED 34.56

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.30 AED 15.79

-33.26%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.93 AED 3.42

140.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.37 AED 1.36

305.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.78 AED 6.54

-35.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.18 AED 4.34

48.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.03 AED 7.47

-13.30%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.79 AED 10.24

15.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$10.51 AED 38.61

28.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.69 AED 24.59

18.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$8.53 AED 31.31

86.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.82 AED 6.70

26.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.56 AED 5.75

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.47 AED 5.40

36.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.22 AED 4.47

101.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.04 AED 3.80

76.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.17 AED 4.30

70.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.45 AED 5.33

33.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.59 AED 2.17

33.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.46 AED 56.8

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 AED 6.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 AED 12.68

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$6.47 AED 23.75

2.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.67 AED 6.14

41.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$40.17 AED 148

13.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.60 AED 13.21

19.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.66 AED 2.42

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$5.03 AED 18.47

263.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.81 AED 2.99

154.32%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$45.4K AED 166.8K

-24.51%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$22.3K AED 82.0K

75.97%

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

$148 €127

$195 AED 716

-24.16%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$65.9 AED 242

-68.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$102 AED 374

-61.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$64.2 AED 236

-25.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$37.64 AED 138

-49.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$13.00 AED 47.76

-29.38%

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

$614 €529

$273 AED 1,002

124.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,985 AED 22.0K

168.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$53.0 AED 195

97.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$97.4 AED 358

-56.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$95.4 AED 350

-1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$82.6 AED 303

44.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$755 AED 2,771

115.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$596 AED 2,190

110.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,617 AED 5,939

87.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$1,008 AED 3,702

100.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$8,253 AED 30.3K

-5.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$2,745 AED 10.1K

55.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$2,234 AED 8,203

-28.21%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $755 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $33.00 in Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 43% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,547 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sharjah earns 39% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $755 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $273 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,547 in Sharjah versus $2,210 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 43% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.