Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuching: $886 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$886

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $886 in Kuching versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Kuching $886
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Kuching versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Kuching $1,395
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,904 in Kuching versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Kuching $1,904
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Kuching costs roughly 60% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kuching is 34% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.49 MYR 14.23

$16.50 €14.67

-78.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.27 MYR 99.0

$61.3 €54.5

-60.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 MYR 20.04

$11.27 €10.03

-56.43%

Cappuccino

$3.22 MYR 13.13

$3.06 €2.72

5.23%

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

$0.81 MYR 3.30

$2.26 €2.01

-64.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$1.73 €1.54

-79.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 MYR 19.23

$3.39 €3.02

38.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 MYR 24.77

$3.40 €3.02

78.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 MYR 9.72

$1.12 €1.00

112.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

$1.86 €1.65

-34.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.83

$1.53 €1.36

-22.88%

Eggs

$2.43 MYR 9.90

$3.96 €3.53

-38.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 MYR 44.24

$12.76 €11.35

-15.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 MYR 17.88

$7.90 €7.02

-44.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 MYR 40.56

$16.97 €15.09

-41.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 MYR 13.34

$2.27 €2.02

44.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.48

$1.75 €1.55

-23.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 MYR 10.07

$1.85 €1.64

33.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 MYR 7.56

$2.57 €2.28

-28.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.72

$1.86 €1.65

-24.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.83

$2.02 €1.80

-41.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MYR 6.61

$1.44 €1.28

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.22

$0.82 €0.73

-34.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 MYR 18.70

$6.56 €5.83

-30.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.82 MYR 89.0

$5.62 €5.00

288.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.08 MYR 16.66

$1.28 €1.14

218.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 MYR 21.17

$2.07 €1.84

150.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 MYR 2.39

$2.35 €2.09

-74.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.46 MYR 50.8

$44.18 €39.30

-71.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.16

$3.99 €3.55

-74.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MYR 4.89

$1.09 €0.97

10.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.61 MYR 35.14

$16.64 €14.81

-48.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 MYR 3.62

$2.28 €2.03

-60.96%

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

$42.1K MYR 171.5K

$33.7K €30.0K

24.87%

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

$36.8K MYR 149.9K

$39.3K €35.0K

-6.46%

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

$35.97 MYR 147

$167 €149

-78.52%

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

$10.25 MYR 41.81

$18.80 €16.72

-45.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 MYR 105

$33.09 €29.43

-22.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.03 MYR 123

$46.01 €40.93

-34.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.47 MYR 50.9

$19.19 €17.07

-35.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.70

$9.84 €8.75

-50.91%

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

$133 MYR 544

$677 €602

-80.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,106 MYR 29.0K

$16.9K €15.1K

-58.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 MYR 258

$101 €90.1

-37.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.78 MYR 154

$45.76 €40.70

-17.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 MYR 368

$100.0 €88.9

-9.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 MYR 269

$123 €109

-46.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 MYR 1,484

$1,614 €1,436

-77.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 MYR 990

$1,197 €1,065

-79.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 MYR 2,679

$2,862 €2,545

-77.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MYR 1,951

$1,990 €1,770

-75.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,017 MYR 8,227

$7,577 €6,740

-73.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,507 MYR 6,148

$4,307 €3,831

-65.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$540 MYR 2,203

$1,588 €1,412

-65.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

3.85

13.51%

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

Last update for Kuching: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kuching

$272 30.7%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 1% $2.8

Accommodation & Living

Kuching

$243 27.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 393% $954

Eating Out

Kuching

$122 13.7%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 99.2% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Kuching

$116 13.1%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 43.7% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuching

$72 8.1%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 205% $147

Sport & Entertainment

Kuching

$40 4.5%

Lisbon

$66 3% 65.5% $26

Getting Around

Kuching

$22 2.5%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 189% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $364 in Kuching and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 194% 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: $24.00 in Kuching vs $61.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuching

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

01:19 1:19 AM

7 h behind Kuching

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kuching Lisbon 12,400 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuching
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

Kuching vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 151% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 194% lower in Lisbon. 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: $364 in Kuching versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuching – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $61.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $886 per month in Kuching versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 151% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $886 in Kuching versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuching but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kuching the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kuching 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, Kuching 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 Kuching gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.