Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sharm El Sheikh Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sharm El Sheikh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $705 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,110 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,515 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 225% more expensive than in Sharm El Sheikh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sharm El Sheikh is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$7.68 E£392

110.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$21.57 E£1,101

193.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.31 E£271

94.35%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.79 E£91.4

58.10%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.32 E£16.16

615.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.47 E£24.05

236.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.03 E£155

12.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$4.80 E£245

-16.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.92 E£46.77

18.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.58 E£29.82

201.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.71 E£36.09

147.89%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.29 E£65.9

145.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$3.30 E£168

299.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.02 E£205

98.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$8.73 E£446

77.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.56 E£79.5

51.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.47 E£24.03

263.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.47 E£23.88

327.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.31 E£16.03

683.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.38 E£19.32

363.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.43 E£22.04

372.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.24 E£12.28

700.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.18 E£9.24

372.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$1.66 E£84.6

296.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.36 E£69.5

-2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.87 E£95.3

58.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.09 E£4.66

2433.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.42 E£21.38

907.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.31 E£15.83

161.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$2.03 E£103

808.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.32 E£16.52

550.00%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$35.2K E£1.8M

-1.48%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$33.1K E£1.7M

18.14%

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

$148 €130

$12.02 E£613

1131.70%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$11.23 E£573

82.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$28.27 E£1,443

39.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$14.60 E£745

228.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$6.04 E£308

207.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$3.36 E£172

174.40%

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

$616 €540

$114 E£5,805

441.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,866 E£95.2K

781.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$27.29 E£1,393

276.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$49.45 E£2,525

-15.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$110 E£5,639

-14.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$51.3 E£2,620

137.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$371 E£19.0K

339.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$283 E£14.4K

335.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$640 E£32.7K

384.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$542 E£27.7K

274.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$927 E£47.3K

744.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$663 E£33.8K

562.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$162 E£8,289

889.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

16.67

-77.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $371 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 890% 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 $22.00 in Sharm El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $109 per month, with Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sharm El Sheikh differ by about 225% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $705 including rent). Sharm El Sheikh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 890% 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 $371 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 145% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $705 in Sharm El Sheikh – a 225% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $705 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharm El Sheikh but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 225% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.