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

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

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

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 30% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 AED 19.64

$15.91 €13.70

-66.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.06 AED 121

$64.8 €55.8

-48.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 AED 34.99

$10.51 €9.05

-9.32%

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

$4.30 AED 15.79

$2.87 €2.47

49.83%

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

$0.93 AED 3.42

$2.24 €1.93

-58.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 AED 1.36

$1.50 €1.29

-75.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 AED 6.54

$1.14 €0.98

56.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 AED 4.34

$1.75 €1.51

-32.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 AED 7.47

$1.76 €1.51

15.34%

Eggs

$2.79 AED 10.24

$3.22 €2.77

-13.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 AED 38.61

$13.49 €11.61

-22.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 AED 24.59

$7.91 €6.81

-15.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.53 AED 31.31

$15.87 €13.67

-46.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.70

$2.31 €1.99

-21.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 AED 5.75

$1.70 €1.46

-8.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 AED 5.40

$2.01 €1.73

-26.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 AED 4.47

$2.46 €2.12

-50.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 AED 3.80

$1.84 €1.59

-43.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.30

$2.00 €1.72

-41.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 AED 5.33

$1.93 €1.66

-24.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.17

$0.79 €0.68

-25.32%

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)

$6.47 AED 23.75

$6.61 €5.69

-2.12%

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)

$1.67 AED 6.14

$2.37 €2.04

-29.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.17 AED 148

$45.56 €39.22

-11.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 AED 13.21

$4.29 €3.69

-16.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 AED 2.42

$0.82 €0.70

-19.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 AED 18.47

$18.30 €15.76

-72.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$2.06 €1.78

-60.68%

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

$45.4K AED 166.8K

$34.3K €29.5K

32.47%

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

$22.3K AED 82.0K

$39.3K €33.8K

-43.17%

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

$195 AED 716

$148 €127

31.86%

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

$65.9 AED 242

$20.52 €17.67

221.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 374

$39.61 €34.10

156.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 AED 236

$47.85 €41.19

34.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.64 AED 138

$18.92 €16.29

98.94%

Cinema Ticket

$13.00 AED 47.76

$9.18 €7.91

41.61%

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

$273 AED 1,002

$614 €529

-55.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,985 AED 22.0K

$16.0K €13.8K

-62.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 AED 195

$105 €90.1

-49.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 AED 358

$42.06 €36.21

131.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 AED 350

$94.0 €80.9

1.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 AED 303

$120 €103

-30.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 AED 2,771

$1,628 €1,401

-53.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 AED 2,190

$1,255 €1,081

-52.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 AED 5,939

$3,030 €2,609

-46.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 AED 3,702

$2,020 €1,739

-50.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,253 AED 30.3K

$7,800 €6,715

5.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,745 AED 10.1K

$4,273 €3,678

-35.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,234 AED 8,203

$1,603 €1,380

39.30%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $755 in Sharjah and $1,628 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: $33.00 in Sharjah vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $269 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,547 vs $2,210 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

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

Childcare runs $273 in Sharjah versus $614 in Lisbon. 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, 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 43% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.