Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,120 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $2,268 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,685 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $3,348 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,251 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $4,429 in Lisbon, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur is about 51% cheaper than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Kuala Lumpur sits 19% below the global median, while Lisbon is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.07 MYR 20.62

$17.55 €15.13

-71.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.14 MYR 119

$64.5 €55.6

-54.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 MYR 19.56

$11.65 €10.04

-58.71%

Cappuccino

$3.17 MYR 12.89

$3.26 €2.81

-2.76%

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

$0.82 MYR 3.32

$2.49 €2.15

-67.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.89

$1.67 €1.44

-72.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MYR 18.02

$3.47 €2.99

27.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 MYR 24.40

$3.58 €3.08

67.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 MYR 8.61

$1.18 €1.02

79.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$1.95 €1.68

-43.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 MYR 8.55

$1.56 €1.35

34.62%

Eggs

$2.49 MYR 10.12

$4.01 €3.46

-37.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.53 MYR 63.2

$13.27 €11.45

17.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 MYR 20.07

$8.42 €7.26

-41.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.63 MYR 39.17

$18.23 €15.72

-47.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MYR 13.76

$2.32 €2.00

45.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 MYR 7.61

$1.73 €1.49

8.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 MYR 9.71

$1.93 €1.67

23.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.63

$2.64 €2.28

-38.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.55

$1.90 €1.64

-28.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.91

$2.11 €1.82

-31.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$1.44 €1.24

-20.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 MYR 3.02

$0.80 €0.69

-7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 MYR 17.96

$7.01 €6.04

-37.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.84 MYR 76.7

$5.92 €5.11

218.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 MYR 14.42

$1.36 €1.18

160.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 MYR 20.45

$2.15 €1.85

133.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.11

$2.38 €2.05

-67.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.27 MYR 49.93

$46.22 €39.86

-73.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.91

$4.19 €3.61

-71.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 MYR 4.99

$1.10 €0.95

11.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 MYR 20.04

$17.26 €14.88

-71.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$2.25 €1.94

-66.22%

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

$42.8K MYR 174.0K

$34.5K €29.7K

24.09%

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

$35.4K MYR 144.0K

$41.6K €35.9K

-14.98%

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

$63.5 MYR 258

$171 €147

-62.87%

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

$9.41 MYR 38.29

$19.01 €16.39

-50.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.74 MYR 109

$34.28 €29.56

-22.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 MYR 205

$49.65 €42.81

1.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.64 MYR 31.07

$19.51 €16.82

-60.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 MYR 22.55

$10.10 €8.71

-45.15%

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

$302 MYR 1,230

$699 €603

-56.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K MYR 51.6K

$17.8K €15.3K

-28.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 MYR 299

$105 €90.2

-29.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.08 MYR 171

$47.97 €41.36

-12.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 MYR 361

$102 €87.8

-12.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 MYR 395

$128 €111

-24.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 MYR 2,470

$1,661 €1,433

-63.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 MYR 1,492

$1,228 €1,059

-70.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 MYR 4,933

$2,915 €2,514

-58.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 MYR 2,612

$2,023 €1,745

-68.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,079 MYR 16.6K

$8,129 €7,010

-49.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,535 MYR 6,246

$4,635 €3,997

-66.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,493 MYR 6,075

$1,619 €1,396

-7.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

3.78

11.11%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: September 5, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Kuala Lumpur versus $1,661 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 8% 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 $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur versus $64.0 in Lisbon. Groceries tell a different story – $283 in Kuala Lumpur vs $281 in Lisbon – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Kuala Lumpur vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 103%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,680 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $3,402 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Lumpur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur and $64.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Lumpur, where all-in costs run around $1,120, than in Lisbon at $2,268. In Kuala Lumpur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Lumpur – 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 Kuala Lumpur. 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.