Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and George Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and George Town

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $865 in George Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,328 in George Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,791 in George Town.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 164% more expensive than in George Town, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, George Town is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$2.99 MYR 12.23

426.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$21.46 MYR 87.7

195.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$4.14 MYR 16.92

152.42%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.58 MYR 10.53

12.79%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.78 MYR 3.17

193.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.34 MYR 1.38

341.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$4.22 MYR 17.24

-15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$4.62 MYR 18.90

-14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.81 MYR 7.41

-40.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.07 MYR 4.37

64.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.63 MYR 6.66

4.29%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.06 MYR 8.42

57.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$17.36 MYR 71.0

-23.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$5.11 MYR 20.88

50.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$10.81 MYR 44.19

45.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.92 MYR 11.93

-21.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.40 MYR 5.72

18.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.15 MYR 8.77

-6.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.22 MYR 5.01

102.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$0.84 MYR 3.45

113.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.17 MYR 4.79

76.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.74 MYR 3.01

166.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.55 MYR 2.23

50.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$4.18 MYR 17.09

56.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$19.20 MYR 78.5

-70.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.72 MYR 11.13

-51.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$3.54 MYR 14.45

-14.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.45 MYR 1.84

404.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$11.63 MYR 47.54

298.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.20 MYR 4.92

252.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.46 MYR 1.89

84.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$6.60 MYR 26.98

185.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.46 MYR 1.87

339.13%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$34.0K MYR 138.8K

2.95%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$24.9K MYR 101.7K

59.25%

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

$148 €129

$38.72 MYR 158

282.05%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$9.78 MYR 39.98

109.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$29.08 MYR 119

35.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$38.41 MYR 157

25.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$3.81 MYR 15.57

382.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$3.92 MYR 16.00

132.14%

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

$615 €536

$148 MYR 607

314.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$4,522 MYR 18.5K

260.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$52.6 MYR 215

93.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$28.34 MYR 116

48.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$62.3 MYR 255

48.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$52.3 MYR 214

133.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$364 MYR 1,490

342.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$257 MYR 1,051

387.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$711 MYR 2,904

331.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$495 MYR 2,021

311.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$1,072 MYR 4,382

49.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.16

-8.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for George Town: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $364 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 49% 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 $21.00 in George Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $265 per month, with George Town 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 George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George Town is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 164% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 49% 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 $364 in George Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in George Town runs roughly 299% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $148 in George Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $865 in George Town versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George Town but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes George Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, George Town 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, Lisbon and George Town 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 George Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.