Cost of Living Comparison Between Kedah and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Kedah and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $845 in Kedah versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,324 in Kedah versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,803 in Kedah versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Kedah costs roughly 62% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kedah is 37% below, Lisbon is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 MYR 11.73

$15.73 €13.42

-81.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.99 MYR 82.9

$63.2 €53.9

-66.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.25 MYR 16.81

$10.32 €8.80

-58.82%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.37

$2.81 €2.40

2.49%

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

$0.69 MYR 2.71

$2.33 €1.99

-70.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.43

$1.51 €1.29

-76.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.28 MYR 16.91

$3.37 €2.87

27.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MYR 17.34

$3.91 €3.34

12.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 MYR 7.26

$1.08 €0.92

70.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 MYR 3.56

$1.75 €1.49

-48.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.59

$1.75 €1.50

-33.71%

Eggs

$2.13 MYR 8.42

$3.10 €2.64

-31.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.94 MYR 59.0

$13.28 €11.33

12.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 MYR 20.37

$7.85 €6.70

-34.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 MYR 58.2

$16.05 €13.69

-8.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MYR 11.34

$2.39 €2.04

20.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.77

$1.72 €1.47

-29.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 MYR 10.59

$1.97 €1.68

36.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MYR 8.24

$2.55 €2.17

-18.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.65

$1.79 €1.53

-34.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.80

$1.97 €1.68

-38.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 MYR 3.75

$1.96 €1.67

-51.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.91

$0.84 €0.71

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MYR 16.57

$6.82 €5.82

-38.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.49 MYR 77.0

$5.85 €4.99

233.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MYR 10.47

$1.38 €1.18

92.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 MYR 13.89

$2.92 €2.49

20.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.85

$2.29 €1.95

-68.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.89 MYR 46.98

$46.88 €39.99

-74.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 MYR 2.69

$4.12 €3.51

-83.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MYR 1.84

$0.81 €0.69

-41.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.95 MYR 27.47

$18.94 €16.16

-63.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 1.97

$2.09 €1.78

-76.08%

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

$33.2K MYR 131.3K

$35.1K €30.0K

-5.33%

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

$27.9K MYR 110.3K

$39.7K €33.9K

-29.67%

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

$38.58 MYR 152

$150 €128

-74.20%

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

$10.25 MYR 40.50

$20.49 €17.48

-49.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.73 MYR 46.35

$39.15 €33.40

-70.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.97 MYR 146

$49.65 €42.35

-25.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 MYR 22.85

$18.47 €15.76

-68.65%

Cinema Ticket

$2.87 MYR 11.33

$9.20 €7.84

-68.80%

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

$243 MYR 958

$624 €533

-61.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,217 MYR 24.6K

$15.9K €13.6K

-60.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MYR 213

$102 €87.2

-47.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.08 MYR 115

$40.88 €34.87

-28.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 MYR 241

$95.7 €81.6

-36.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.0 MYR 209

$121 €103

-56.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 MYR 1,528

$1,653 €1,410

-76.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MYR 1,061

$1,233 €1,051

-78.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 MYR 2,519

$3,043 €2,596

-79.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MYR 1,857

$2,059 €1,756

-77.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,647 MYR 6,507

$7,879 €6,720

-79.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,008 MYR 3,983

$4,303 €3,671

-76.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,358 MYR 5,364

$1,566 €1,336

-13.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

3.81

9.19%

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

Last update for Kedah: April 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Kedah and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 15% 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: $21 in Kedah vs $63 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $270, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Kedah vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kedah and Lisbon differ by about 166% in total monthly costs ($845 vs $2,243 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 15% less. 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: $387 in Kedah versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $243 in Kedah versus $624 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $845 in Kedah versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kedah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kedah 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, Kedah 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 Kedah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.