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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,869 in Sharjah versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,654 in Sharjah versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,439 in Sharjah versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 19% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 36% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.09 AED 22.37

$17.30 €14.87

-64.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.47 AED 138

$63.3 €54.4

-40.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 AED 30.21

$11.39 €9.79

-27.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.44 AED 34.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.62 AED 35.33

Cappuccino

$3.58 AED 13.15

$3.19 €2.74

12.23%

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

$0.82 AED 3.00

$2.45 €2.10

-66.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 AED 1.12

$1.76 €1.52

-82.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 AED 5.94

$1.24 €1.06

30.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 AED 4.23

$1.98 €1.71

-41.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 AED 7.14

$1.52 €1.31

27.63%

Eggs

$2.86 AED 10.49

$4.04 €3.47

-29.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 AED 32.59

$13.54 €11.64

-34.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.18 AED 26.38

$8.39 €7.21

-14.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.59 AED 42.57

$18.25 €15.69

-36.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 AED 7.95

$2.29 €1.97

-5.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 AED 6.14

$1.74 €1.50

-4.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 AED 5.62

$1.86 €1.60

-17.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 AED 5.06

$2.63 €2.26

-47.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 AED 4.11

$1.92 €1.65

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.28

$2.09 €1.80

-44.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 AED 5.52

$1.44 €1.24

4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 AED 2.14

$0.84 €0.72

-30.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.64 AED 57.4

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 AED 9.24

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 AED 9.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 AED 24.03

$6.78 €5.83

-3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 AED 8.24

$2.40 €2.06

-6.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.71 AED 150

$46.78 €40.22

-12.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 AED 13.41

$4.17 €3.59

-12.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 AED 2.16

$1.14 €0.98

-48.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.84 AED 43.47

$17.68 €15.20

-33.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 AED 3.47

$2.32 €2.00

-59.05%

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

$44.8K AED 164.4K

$35.3K €30.4K

26.71%

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

$21.9K AED 80.5K

$41.4K €35.6K

-47.12%

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

$223 AED 820

$170 €146

31.04%

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

$49.62 AED 182

$19.34 €16.62

156.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.9 AED 352

$33.64 €28.92

185.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 AED 202

$48.10 €41.35

14.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.30 AED 81.9

$19.90 €17.11

12.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 AED 49.12

$9.92 €8.53

34.88%

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

$317 AED 1,164

$717 €617

-55.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,665 AED 31.8K

$17.5K €15.0K

-50.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 AED 218

$105 €90.1

-43.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.4 AED 288

$46.95 €40.36

67.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 AED 404

$103 €88.9

6.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 AED 354

$124 €107

-22.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 AED 3,011

$1,677 €1,441

-51.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$886 AED 3,254

$1,271 €1,093

-30.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 AED 6,618

$2,985 €2,566

-39.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 AED 5,546

$1,992 €1,713

-24.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,097 AED 29.7K

$7,826 €6,728

3.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 AED 10.2K

$4,658 €4,004

-40.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,193 AED 8,053

$1,583 €1,361

38.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

3.79

18.73%

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

Last update for Sharjah: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $820 in Sharjah and $1,677 in Lisbon. 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: $37.00 in Sharjah vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $283 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

Sharjah vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharjah and Lisbon differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,869 vs $2,316 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Sharjah, 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: $820 in Sharjah versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $317 in Sharjah versus $717 in Lisbon. 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 $1,869 in Sharjah versus $2,316 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, Sharjah and Lisbon 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 24% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.