Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Johor Bahru Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Johor Bahru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $943 in Johor Bahru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,385 in Johor Bahru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,826 in Johor Bahru.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 140% more expensive than Johor Bahru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Johor Bahru is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$3.59 MYR 14.56

344.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$18.77 MYR 76.1

237.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.69 MYR 19.02

121.32%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$3.02 MYR 12.23

-7.62%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.79 MYR 3.22

196.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.45 MYR 1.84

248.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$3.64 MYR 14.78

-5.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$6.63 MYR 26.90

-41.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.82 MYR 7.37

-40.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.93 MYR 3.76

90.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.29 MYR 5.25

32.56%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.87 MYR 7.59

68.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$10.72 MYR 43.49

27.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$3.49 MYR 14.17

129.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$8.21 MYR 33.29

89.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.77 MYR 11.21

-17.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.48 MYR 6.00

10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.48 MYR 10.04

-21.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.26 MYR 5.10

99.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.14 MYR 4.61

57.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.33 MYR 5.38

51.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.94 MYR 3.82

109.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 MYR 2.30

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.19 MYR 16.98

62.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$14.08 MYR 57.1

-59.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.64 MYR 10.72

-47.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.93 MYR 11.90

3.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.74 MYR 3.02

206.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$11.67 MYR 47.34

289.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.02 MYR 4.13

320.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.99 MYR 4.03

-14.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$9.41 MYR 38.15

94.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.46 MYR 1.85

332.61%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$35.8K MYR 145.2K

-2.17%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$27.4K MYR 111.1K

44.37%

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

$146 €126

$41.08 MYR 167

255.84%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$9.14 MYR 37.06

123.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$30.22 MYR 123

28.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$34.97 MYR 142

40.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$6.01 MYR 24.37

213.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$5.04 MYR 20.42

88.89%

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

$608 €524

$184 MYR 746

230.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$6,934 MYR 28.1K

138.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$49.20 MYR 200

111.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$19.06 MYR 77.3

120.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$54.1 MYR 219

70.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$40.69 MYR 165

194.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$469 MYR 1,901

245.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$397 MYR 1,611

219.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$816 MYR 3,311

273.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$611 MYR 2,478

228.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$2,079 MYR 8,432

268.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,163 MYR 4,714

272.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,108 MYR 4,492

43.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.07

-6.39%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $469 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 43% 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 Johor Bahru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $217 per month, with Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Johor Bahru differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $943 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 43% more on average, 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $469 in Johor Bahru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Johor Bahru – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $943 in Johor Bahru – a 140% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $943 in Johor Bahru versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Johor Bahru but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Johor Bahru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.