Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town, Malaysia and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in George Town: $952 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$952

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in George Town 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 George Town and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $952 in George Town versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

George Town $952
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,558 in George Town versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

George Town $1,558
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,164 in George Town versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

George Town $2,164
Lisbon $4,341

Living in George Town costs roughly 57% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: George Town is 30% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 MYR 14.01

$16.65 €14.92

-79.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.45 MYR 62.6

$61.7 €55.3

-74.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 MYR 18.97

$11.36 €10.18

-58.80%

Cappuccino

$2.75 MYR 11.15

$2.97 €2.66

-7.41%

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

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$2.29 €2.05

-69.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MYR 1.42

$1.74 €1.56

-79.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 MYR 10.03

$3.40 €3.05

-27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 MYR 17.93

$3.31 €2.97

33.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 MYR 7.58

$1.16 €1.04

61.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.25

$1.91 €1.71

-45.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.01

$1.51 €1.36

14.57%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 8.99

$4.02 €3.60

-44.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 MYR 55.4

$12.94 €11.59

5.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 MYR 18.14

$7.77 €6.97

-42.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.26

$17.76 €15.92

-51.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 MYR 9.48

$2.30 €2.06

1.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.91

$1.73 €1.55

-15.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MYR 9.00

$1.86 €1.66

19.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.87

$2.59 €2.32

-53.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 MYR 3.71

$1.82 €1.63

-49.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MYR 3.45

$1.97 €1.76

-56.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 MYR 3.02

$1.47 €1.32

-49.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.38

$0.72 €0.65

-18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 MYR 18.55

$6.58 €5.90

-30.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.84 MYR 76.4

$5.61 €5.02

235.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 MYR 9.77

$1.36 €1.22

77.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 MYR 14.45

$2.14 €1.91

66.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$2.33 €2.09

-79.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.01 MYR 48.70

$44.68 €40.04

-73.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 4.99

$3.85 €3.45

-68.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.05

$1.07 €0.96

-52.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.53 MYR 26.49

$16.46 €14.75

-60.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$2.20 €1.97

-62.73%

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

$45.5K MYR 184.6K

$34.2K €30.6K

33.21%

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

$34.6K MYR 140.4K

$38.7K €34.7K

-10.58%

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

$36.85 MYR 149

$161 €144

-77.14%

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

$8.05 MYR 32.62

$18.41 €16.50

-56.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.38 MYR 115

$32.74 €29.34

-13.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.35 MYR 164

$44.55 €39.92

-9.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.03 MYR 20.38

$19.10 €17.11

-73.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 MYR 18.31

$9.60 €8.60

-52.92%

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

$168 MYR 683

$668 €598

-74.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,958 MYR 20.1K

$17.6K €15.8K

-71.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 MYR 216

$102 €91.4

-47.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 MYR 141

$44.46 €39.85

-21.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 MYR 298

$98.5 €88.3

-25.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 MYR 287

$124 €111

-42.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 MYR 2,874

$1,608 €1,441

-55.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 MYR 1,485

$1,190 €1,066

-69.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 MYR 4,475

$2,812 €2,520

-60.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 MYR 3,666

$2,013 €1,804

-55.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,057 MYR 4,285

$1,575 €1,411

-32.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

3.85

4.94%

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

Last update for George Town: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

George Town

$366 38.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 225% $824

Groceries & Markets

George Town

$241 25.3%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 13% $31

Clothing & Footwear

George Town

$105 11%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 58.7% $61

Eating Out

George Town

$100 10.5%

Lisbon

$243 11% 142% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

George Town

$73 7.7%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 190% $139

Sport & Entertainment

George Town

$49 5.2%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 29.1% $14

Getting Around

George Town

$18 1.9%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 258% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $709 in George Town and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 49% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $15 in George Town vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $272 per month, with George Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 George Town

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

15:32 3:32 PM

07:32 7:32 AM

8 h behind George Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

794,313

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.52 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

George Town Lisbon 11,290 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

George Town
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

George Town vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George Town is about 57% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in George Town. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $709 in George Town versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in George Town runs roughly 73% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $168 in George Town versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

For families, George Town is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, George Town and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find George Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.