Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuantan and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuantan: $820 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$820

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $820 per month in Kuantan vs $2,206 in Lisbon, rent included.

Kuantan $820
Lisbon $2,206

A couple spends around $1,248 per month in Kuantan vs $3,276 in Lisbon, rent included.

Kuantan $1,248
Lisbon $3,276

A family of three spends $1,676 per month in Kuantan vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

Kuantan $1,676
Lisbon $4,346

Kuantan is about 63% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kuantan sits 39% below the global median, while Lisbon is 63% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.43 MYR 9.92

$16.86 €15.04

-85.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.28 MYR 50.1

$61.0 €54.5

-79.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.53 MYR 14.39

$10.98 €9.80

-67.85%

Cappuccino

$2.81 MYR 11.45

$3.05 €2.72

-7.87%

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

$0.67 MYR 2.73

$2.28 €2.04

-70.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.70

$1.68 €1.50

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 MYR 11.36

$3.44 €3.07

-18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MYR 23.98

$3.91 €3.48

50.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MYR 6.55

$1.15 €1.02

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 MYR 3.29

$1.89 €1.68

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.95

$1.50 €1.34

-2.67%

Eggs

$1.34 MYR 5.45

$4.12 €3.67

-67.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.73 MYR 39.66

$13.01 €11.60

-25.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 MYR 13.51

$8.04 €7.18

-58.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.74

$17.89 €15.96

-75.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.90

$2.27 €2.03

28.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MYR 7.94

$1.74 €1.56

12.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 MYR 10.88

$1.82 €1.62

46.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 MYR 7.11

$2.69 €2.40

-35.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.17

$1.77 €1.58

-0.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MYR 7.76

$1.94 €1.73

-2.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MYR 2.83

$1.46 €1.31

-52.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.25

$0.76 €0.68

-27.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MYR 17.19

$6.66 €5.94

-36.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.87 MYR 81.0

$5.64 €5.03

252.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MYR 7.88

$1.29 €1.15

49.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 MYR 7.90

$2.14 €1.91

-9.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$2.30 €2.05

-77.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.05 MYR 49.12

$44.02 €39.26

-72.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 MYR 4.44

$3.98 €3.55

-72.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$0.64 €0.57

-45.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.92 MYR 36.34

$18.93 €16.88

-52.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$2.28 €2.03

-77.63%

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

$34.3K MYR 139.6K

$33.4K €29.8K

2.67%

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

$35.1K MYR 143.0K

$38.5K €34.3K

-8.89%

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

$48.55 MYR 198

$158 €141

-69.31%

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

$8.40 MYR 34.22

$17.54 €15.64

-52.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.38 MYR 99.3

$31.18 €27.82

-21.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.84 MYR 154

$44.64 €39.82

-15.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.51 MYR 26.54

$18.98 €16.93

-65.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 MYR 18.68

$9.58 €8.54

-52.19%

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

$281 MYR 1,143

$674 €601

-58.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MYR 42.4K

$18.7K €16.7K

-44.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 MYR 213

$102 €91.2

-48.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.31 MYR 124

$45.90 €40.94

-33.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.21 MYR 201

$102 €91.2

-51.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.39 MYR 201

$122 €109

-59.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 MYR 1,688

$1,641 €1,463

-74.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 MYR 1,173

$1,187 €1,059

-75.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 MYR 2,982

$2,825 €2,519

-74.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 MYR 2,288

$2,018 €1,800

-72.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,019 MYR 8,229

$7,836 €6,989

-74.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,175 MYR 4,789

$4,701 €4,193

-75.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 MYR 3,930

$1,687 €1,505

-42.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.15

3.82

8.64%

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

Last update for Kuantan: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuantan

$288 35.1%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 313% $900

Groceries & Markets

Kuantan

$212 25.8%

Lisbon

$275 12.5% 29.7% $63

Eating Out

Kuantan

$94 11.4%

Lisbon

$245 11.1% 161% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Kuantan

$82 9.9%

Lisbon

$168 7.6% 106% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuantan

$81 9.9%

Lisbon

$207 9.4% 154% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Kuantan

$47 5.7%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 35.7% $17

Getting Around

Kuantan

$17 2.1%

Lisbon

$60 2.7% 257% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in Kuantan versus $1,641 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 75% 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 $12 in Kuantan versus $61 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $275 – making Kuantan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

16:56 4:56 PM

08:56 8:56 AM

8 h behind Kuantan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

548,014

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.57 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kuantan Lisbon 11,660 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuantan
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

Kuantan vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 169%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,230 per month in Kuantan and $3,309 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuantan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $414 there versus $1,641 in Lisbon.

Kindergarten costs $281 per month in Kuantan and $674 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Lisbon, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kuantan, where all-in costs run around $820, than in Lisbon at $2,206. In Kuantan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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