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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $843 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,334 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,824 in Bintulu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 172% more expensive than in Bintulu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Bintulu is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$3.89 MYR 15.88

352.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$18.53 MYR 75.6

239.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$5.78 MYR 23.57

100.35%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.96 MYR 12.09

4.73%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.64 MYR 2.62

289.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.37 MYR 1.53

370.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.93 MYR 11.94

18.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$5.13 MYR 20.93

-32.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.16 MYR 8.80

-46.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.37 MYR 5.61

39.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.32 MYR 5.39

13.64%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.18 MYR 8.90

82.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$16.92 MYR 69.0

-21.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$3.46 MYR 14.12

131.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$5.93 MYR 24.20

204.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.67 MYR 6.82

40.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.01 MYR 4.11

73.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.67 MYR 6.82

10.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.16 MYR 4.75

119.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.52 MYR 2.10

253.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.20 MYR 4.89

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.76 MYR 3.09

96.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.44 MYR 1.81

86.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$4.20 MYR 17.13

69.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$19.38 MYR 79.1

-69.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$2.90 MYR 11.85

-54.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.93 MYR 7.87

10.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.20 MYR 4.88

96.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$16.15 MYR 65.9

188.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.00 MYR 4.07

308.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.89 MYR 3.64

28.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$2.40 MYR 9.77

612.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.59 MYR 2.40

291.53%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$45.0K MYR 183.6K

-24.18%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$38.8K MYR 158.5K

6.51%

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

$169 €147

$59.7 MYR 244

182.33%

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

$19.33 €16.82

$31.36 MYR 128

-38.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$31.26 MYR 128

7.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.50

$68.8 MYR 281

-29.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.91

$12.31 MYR 50.2

57.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$4.47 MYR 18.22

114.09%

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

$696 €606

$129 MYR 528

437.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,469 MYR 30.5K

132.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.6

$66.1 MYR 270

59.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$35.14 MYR 143

35.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$79.7 MYR 325

26.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$91.7 MYR 374

35.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$219 MYR 892

660.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$155 MYR 632

704.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$487 MYR 1,988

508.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$338 MYR 1,378

506.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,818

$1,724 MYR 7,035

354.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,885

$1,139 MYR 4,646

291.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$603 MYR 2,458

170.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.5

-16.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $219 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 171% 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 $19.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $232 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 172% 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 171% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $219 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $843 in Bintulu – a 172% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 189% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $843 in Bintulu versus $2,296 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 $843 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 172% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.