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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $969 in George Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,614 in George Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,259 in George Town.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 137% more expensive than in George Town, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, George Town is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$3.36 MYR 13.72

423.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$15.02 MYR 61.3

318.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$4.75 MYR 19.39

143.79%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.78 MYR 11.35

11.51%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.77 MYR 3.14

223.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.32 MYR 1.32

443.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.44 MYR 9.96

42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.36 MYR 17.78

-21.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.80 MYR 7.36

-36.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.09 MYR 4.45

75.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.69 MYR 6.89

-11.24%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.22 MYR 9.06

79.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$12.99 MYR 53.0

2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$4.30 MYR 17.55

86.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$8.63 MYR 35.22

109.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.43 MYR 9.93

-3.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.48 MYR 6.05

18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.24 MYR 9.13

-17.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.22 MYR 4.96

109.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.92 MYR 3.77

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.85 MYR 3.49

147.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.77 MYR 3.15

93.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.54 MYR 2.21

51.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.62 MYR 18.84

53.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$19.06 MYR 77.8

-68.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.51 MYR 10.26

-47.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.59 MYR 14.65

-40.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.47 MYR 1.90

402.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$10.93 MYR 44.63

326.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.20 MYR 4.92

240.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.47 MYR 1.94

142.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$6.71 MYR 27.41

154.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.76 MYR 3.10

203.95%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$42.6K MYR 173.7K

-19.81%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$28.7K MYR 117.1K

44.28%

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

$169 €147

$36.69 MYR 150

359.39%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$8.25 MYR 33.68

134.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$29.93 MYR 122

11.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$41.24 MYR 168

18.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$4.77 MYR 19.49

307.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$4.71 MYR 19.23

103.18%

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

$696 €607

$175 MYR 715

297.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$4,966 MYR 20.3K

249.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$55.0 MYR 225

91.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$34.40 MYR 140

38.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$73.1 MYR 298

37.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$71.2 MYR 291

74.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$498 MYR 2,034

233.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$373 MYR 1,524

233.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$919 MYR 3,750

222.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$980 MYR 4,001

109.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,081 MYR 4,414

50.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.24

-10.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for George Town: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $498 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 51% 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 $15.00 in George Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $239 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 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 51% 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 $498 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 327% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $175 in George Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $969 in George Town versus $2,296 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 137% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.