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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $684 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,118 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,552 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 223% more expensive than Sharm El Sheikh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sharm El Sheikh is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$7.74 E£402

105.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$21.46 E£1,114

201.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.48 E£285

91.79%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.76 E£91.3

63.07%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.32 E£16.51

600.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.44 E£22.88

240.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$3.00 E£156

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.00 E£259

-22.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.91 E£47.20

25.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.62 E£32.19

182.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.65 E£33.93

170.77%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.34 E£69.6

140.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$3.37 E£175

300.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.93 E£204

101.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$8.77 E£455

80.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.60 E£83.1

44.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.48 E£24.73

254.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.50 E£26.01

302.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.31 E£16.15

693.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.40 E£20.79

360.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.40 E£20.84

400.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.24 E£12.47

704.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.20 E£10.53

295.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$1.65 E£85.8

300.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.36 E£70.5

0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.82 E£94.4

63.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.11 E£5.93

2054.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.39 E£20.14

1000.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.29 E£14.84

182.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$1.97 E£102

828.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.36 E£18.49

472.22%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$35.5K E£1.8M

-3.44%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$33.6K E£1.7M

16.85%

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

$148 €127

$12.06 E£626

1126.12%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$11.13 E£577

84.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$28.07 E£1,457

41.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$15.01 E£779

218.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$5.94 E£308

218.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$3.54 E£184

159.32%

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

$614 €529

$114 E£5,938

436.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,855 E£96.3K

765.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$27.01 E£1,402

287.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$48.05 E£2,494

-12.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$110 E£5,695

-14.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$51.3 E£2,663

133.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$370 E£19.2K

339.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$281 E£14.6K

347.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$626 E£32.5K

384.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$561 E£29.1K

260.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$997 E£51.7K

682.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$690 E£35.8K

518.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$151 E£7,827

963.30%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $370 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 963% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $21.00 in Sharm El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $110 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 223% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $684 including rent). Sharm El Sheikh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 963% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $370 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 146% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $684 in Sharm El Sheikh – a 223% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $684 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $2,210 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 223% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.