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

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

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

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 31% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 AED 19.59

$16.19 €14.17

-67.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 AED 121

$63.3 €55.4

-48.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 AED 34.07

$10.32 €9.03

-10.08%

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

$4.29 AED 15.74

$2.83 €2.48

51.59%

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

$0.96 AED 3.54

$2.29 €2.00

-58.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 AED 1.28

$1.58 €1.38

-77.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 AED 6.26

$1.09 €0.95

55.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.36

$1.75 €1.53

-32.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 AED 7.55

$1.76 €1.54

17.05%

Eggs

$2.73 AED 10.01

$3.17 €2.77

-13.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 AED 38.48

$13.19 €11.54

-20.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 AED 25.08

$7.97 €6.97

-14.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 AED 31.53

$15.53 €13.59

-44.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 AED 6.81

$2.37 €2.07

-21.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 AED 5.69

$1.71 €1.49

-9.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 AED 5.17

$2.01 €1.76

-29.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$2.43 €2.13

-51.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 AED 3.67

$1.76 €1.54

-43.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.31

$2.03 €1.78

-42.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 AED 5.38

$1.92 €1.68

-23.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 AED 2.37

$0.85 €0.74

-23.53%

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 12.27

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 AED 24.14

$6.58 €5.76

-0.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

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)

$1.61 AED 5.90

$2.28 €1.99

-29.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.24 AED 151

$45.79 €40.06

-9.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 AED 13.71

$4.23 €3.70

-11.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.37

$0.81 €0.71

-19.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 AED 18.42

$18.44 €16.13

-72.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 AED 3.00

$2.08 €1.82

-60.58%

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

$44.5K AED 163.3K

$34.7K €30.3K

28.27%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$39.2K €34.3K

-43.71%

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

$201 AED 737

$148 €130

35.50%

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

$64.9 AED 238

$20.46 €17.90

216.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 AED 382

$39.56 €34.61

163.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 AED 229

$47.99 €41.99

30.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.36 AED 137

$18.60 €16.27

100.86%

Cinema Ticket

$12.91 AED 47.41

$9.22 €8.07

40.02%

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

$276 AED 1,014

$616 €539

-55.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,972 AED 21.9K

$16.4K €14.4K

-63.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 AED 190

$103 €89.9

-49.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$96.5 AED 354

$41.74 €36.52

131.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 AED 352

$94.8 €82.9

1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 AED 294

$122 €107

-34.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 AED 2,824

$1,633 €1,428

-52.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 AED 2,180

$1,232 €1,078

-51.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 AED 5,847

$3,098 €2,711

-48.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 AED 3,822

$2,031 €1,777

-48.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,094 AED 29.7K

$7,831 €6,851

3.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,749 AED 10.1K

$4,389 €3,840

-37.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,206 AED 8,103

$1,607 €1,406

37.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

3.81

16.01%

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

Last update for Sharjah: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sharjah and $1,633 in Lisbon. 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: $33.00 in Sharjah vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $267 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,591 vs $2,291 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% 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: $769 in Sharjah versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $276 in Sharjah versus $616 in Lisbon. 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, 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 44% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.