Cost of Living · AE vs PT
🇦🇪 Dubai vs 🇵🇹 Lisbon: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,546 in United Arab Emirates vs $1,298 in Portugal — 16.07% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Portugal
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -18.14%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -18.14%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -18.14%
Closest to United Arab Emirates prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -4.88%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -5.56%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -5.56%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | United Arab Emirates | Portugal | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,058 | $866 (800 EUR) | -18.14% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $846 | $693 (640 EUR) | -18.14% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,934 | $1,583 (1,463 EUR) | -18.14% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $12.12 | $10.36 (10 EUR) | -14.52% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $50.50 | $43.15 (40 EUR) | -14.55% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $7.68 | $6.65 (6 EUR) | -13.41% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.83 | $0.74 (1 EUR) | -10.84% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.40 | $2.14 (2 EUR) | -10.83% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.55 | $2.27 (2 EUR) | -10.98% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $7.50 | $6.69 (6 EUR) | -10.8% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $3.00 | $2.68 (2 EUR) | -10.67% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $3.60 | $3.21 (3 EUR) | -10.83% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $9.00 | $8.03 (7 EUR) | -10.78% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.50 | $1.34 (1 EUR) | -10.67% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $4.04 | $3.45 (3 EUR) | -14.6% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.93 | $6.54 (6 EUR) | -5.63% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $3.37 | $2.88 (3 EUR) | -14.54% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.73 | $1.54 (1 EUR) | -10.98% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $45.37 | $39.32 (36 EUR) | -13.33% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.92 | $1.66 (2 EUR) | -13.54% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.69 | $2.30 (2 EUR) | -14.5% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.21 | $1.04 (1 EUR) | -14.05% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.82 | $0.78 (1 EUR) | -4.88% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $140 | $121 (112 EUR) | -13.32% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $48.86 | $42.35 (39 EUR) | -13.32% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $31.41 | $27.23 (25 EUR) | -13.31% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $33.67 | $28.77 (27 EUR) | -14.55% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $9.43 | $8.05 (7 EUR) | -14.63% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $20.20 | $17.26 (16 EUR) | -14.55% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $47.63 | $44.98 (42 EUR) | -5.56% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $77.94 | $73.61 (68 EUR) | -5.56% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $168 | $144 (133 EUR) | -14.55% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Portugal than United Arab Emirates?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,298 in Portugal versus $1,546 in United Arab Emirates — 16.07% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Portugal?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $3.45 in Portugal (≈ 3.19 EUR), versus about $4.04 in United Arab Emirates.
- How much is rent in Portugal compared to United Arab Emirates?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $866/month in Portugal versus $1,058/month in United Arab Emirates (-18.14%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.