Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bintulu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bintulu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $796 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,228 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,661 in Bintulu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 187% more expensive than in Bintulu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Bintulu is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$3.83 MYR 15.63

311.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$17.41 MYR 71.1

264.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$5.52 MYR 22.53

89.31%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.79 MYR 11.38

4.30%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.66 MYR 2.71

246.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.39 MYR 1.60

284.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.84 MYR 11.61

25.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$5.03 MYR 20.53

-21.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.72 MYR 7.03

-37.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.37 MYR 5.58

28.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.27 MYR 5.18

33.86%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.10 MYR 8.58

54.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$16.76 MYR 68.4

-20.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$3.47 MYR 14.18

121.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$5.63 MYR 22.97

180.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.62 MYR 6.62

40.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.92 MYR 3.74

80.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.60 MYR 6.54

26.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.07 MYR 4.35

130.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.53 MYR 2.16

237.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.19 MYR 4.87

73.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.68 MYR 2.79

189.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.43 MYR 1.76

93.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$4.03 MYR 16.46

62.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$19.73 MYR 80.6

-71.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.87 MYR 11.72

-53.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.93 MYR 7.87

55.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.20 MYR 4.92

89.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$15.40 MYR 62.9

200.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.98 MYR 4.00

331.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.93 MYR 3.80

-8.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$2.32 MYR 9.46

711.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.55 MYR 2.25

267.27%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$42.9K MYR 175.0K

-18.42%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$37.0K MYR 151.2K

7.07%

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

$148 €128

$57.3 MYR 234

158.12%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$9.36 MYR 38.21

119.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$29.91 MYR 122

32.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$65.2 MYR 266

-26.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$5.96 MYR 24.33

208.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$4.19 MYR 17.10

117.18%

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

$615 €532

$121 MYR 493

409.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$7,017 MYR 28.7K

132.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$61.6 MYR 251

64.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$33.91 MYR 138

24.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$76.4 MYR 312

20.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$88.7 MYR 362

37.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$214 MYR 875

652.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$152 MYR 622

723.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$461 MYR 1,881

566.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$315 MYR 1,287

545.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,704 MYR 6,956

354.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,154 MYR 4,711

271.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$601 MYR 2,455

166.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.5

-15.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $214 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 166% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $17.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $224 per month, with Bintulu cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Bintulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bintulu wins on cost – living expenses run 187% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bintulu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 166% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $214 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $796 in Bintulu – a 187% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 201% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $796 in Bintulu versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bintulu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bintulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bintulu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $796 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bintulu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Bintulu 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 Bintulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 187% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.