Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheras and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheras: $1,139 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Cheras
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Cheras Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Cheras

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,139

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cheras and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cheras and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,139 per month in Cheras vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Cheras $1,139
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $1,560 per month in Cheras vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Cheras $1,560
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $1,982 per month in Cheras vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Cheras $1,982
Lisbon $4,341

Cheras is about 48% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cheras sits 16% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.61 MYR 14.72

$16.65 €14.95

-78.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.03 MYR 97.9

$61.7 €55.5

-61.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 MYR 20.44

$11.36 €10.20

-55.81%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.17

$2.97 €2.67

0.67%

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

$0.91 MYR 3.71

$2.29 €2.06

-60.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.32

$1.74 €1.56

-67.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.33 MYR 17.63

$3.40 €3.06

27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.32 MYR 25.74

$3.31 €2.97

90.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.69

$1.16 €1.04

62.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.36

$1.91 €1.72

-43.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.07

$1.51 €1.36

-1.32%

Eggs

$1.78 MYR 7.26

$4.02 €3.61

-55.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.03 MYR 73.5

$12.94 €11.62

39.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.59

$7.77 €6.98

-41.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 MYR 44.39

$17.76 €15.95

-38.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 MYR 14.59

$2.30 €2.07

55.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.58

$1.73 €1.56

7.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.73

$1.86 €1.67

41.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$2.59 €2.33

-35.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.48

$1.82 €1.64

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.73

$1.97 €1.77

-16.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$1.47 €1.32

-9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$0.72 €0.65

-30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MYR 17.53

$6.58 €5.91

-34.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 MYR 57.7

$5.61 €5.04

152.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MYR 10.82

$1.36 €1.22

95.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MYR 12.83

$2.14 €1.92

47.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$2.33 €2.10

-67.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.7

$44.68 €40.14

-72.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 MYR 3.84

$3.85 €3.46

-75.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$1.07 €0.96

-66.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.17 MYR 37.38

$16.46 €14.79

-44.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.52

$2.20 €1.98

-60.91%

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

$45.0K MYR 183.5K

$34.2K €30.7K

31.74%

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

$35.8K MYR 146.0K

$38.7K €34.8K

-7.49%

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

$49.55 MYR 202

$161 €145

-69.27%

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

$10.91 MYR 44.46

$18.41 €16.54

-40.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.88 MYR 114

$32.74 €29.41

-14.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 MYR 212

$44.55 €40.02

16.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 MYR 27.12

$19.10 €17.16

-65.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.99 MYR 20.35

$9.60 €8.62

-48.02%

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

$164 MYR 667

$668 €600

-75.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,411 MYR 18.0K

$17.6K €15.8K

-74.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 MYR 218

$102 €91.6

-47.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.08 MYR 123

$44.46 €39.94

-32.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MYR 334

$98.5 €88.5

-16.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 MYR 396

$124 €111

-21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MYR 1,574

$1,608 €1,445

-75.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MYR 1,886

$1,190 €1,069

-61.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 MYR 2,713

$2,812 €2,526

-76.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 MYR 1,995

$2,013 €1,808

-75.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,001 MYR 8,155

$7,839 €7,042

-74.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,081 MYR 4,402

$4,576 €4,110

-76.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,161 MYR 4,730

$1,575 €1,415

-26.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

3.85

5.45%

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

Last update for Cheras: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cheras

$463 40.6%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 157% $727

Groceries & Markets

Cheras

$269 23.6%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 1.2% $3.3

Eating Out

Cheras

$120 10.5%

Lisbon

$243 11% 102% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Cheras

$118 10.4%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 40.3% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheras

$88 7.8%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 140% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Cheras

$62 5.5%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 2.7% $1.7

Getting Around

Cheras

$18 1.6%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 247% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $386 in Cheras versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 36% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Cheras versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $272 – making Cheras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Cheras

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

01:38 1:38 AM

17:38 5:38 PM

8 h behind Cheras

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

440,000

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cheras Lisbon 11,580 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cheras
Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Cheras vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,708 per month in Cheras and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cheras, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $386 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,139 in Cheras and $2,210 in Lisbon. That’s a gap of about 94%.

Kindergarten costs $164 per month in Cheras and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cheras, where all-in costs run around $1,139, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Cheras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cheras – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cheras. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.