Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kedah Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kedah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $863 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,326 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,790 in Kedah.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.67

$2.98 MYR 12.17

428.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.1

$21.22 MYR 86.7

199.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.07

$4.13 MYR 16.85

153.03%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.53

$2.83 MYR 11.55

2.83%

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

$2.29 €1.99

$0.68 MYR 2.77

236.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.34 MYR 1.38

341.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$4.44 MYR 18.12

-19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.44

$4.51 MYR 18.42

-12.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.87 MYR 7.65

-42.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.95 MYR 3.90

85.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.20 MYR 4.92

41.67%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.82

$2.12 MYR 8.66

53.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.49

$15.11 MYR 61.7

-12.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.68

$5.18 MYR 21.15

48.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.68

$14.66 MYR 59.9

7.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$2.91 MYR 11.90

-21.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.19 MYR 4.88

39.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.69 MYR 11.00

-24.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$2.09 MYR 8.55

18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.13 MYR 4.61

58.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.18 MYR 4.81

75.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.95 MYR 3.88

107.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.45 MYR 1.83

84.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.69

$4.23 MYR 17.26

54.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.83

$21.23 MYR 86.7

-73.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.64 MYR 10.77

-49.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.61

$3.41 MYR 13.94

-11.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.68 MYR 2.78

233.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.21

$11.81 MYR 48.24

292.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.67

$0.72 MYR 2.95

487.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.50 MYR 2.06

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.33

$6.89 MYR 28.15

173.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.50 MYR 2.05

304.00%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$33.7K MYR 137.6K

3.77%

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

$39.6K €34.4K

$27.9K MYR 114.0K

41.97%

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

$148 €128

$39.27 MYR 160

276.70%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$10.03 MYR 40.95

104.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.29

$11.86 MYR 48.45

233.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.79

$36.69 MYR 150

31.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.95

$5.81 MYR 23.71

216.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.89

$2.80 MYR 11.44

225.00%

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

$615 €533

$235 MYR 961

161.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,259 MYR 25.6K

160.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.1

$55.4 MYR 226

83.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.51

$29.00 MYR 118

45.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.1

$62.2 MYR 254

48.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$52.2 MYR 213

134.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,398

$386 MYR 1,575

317.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,088

$265 MYR 1,084

372.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,663

$632 MYR 2,580

385.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,767

$465 MYR 1,899

338.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,724

$2,134 MYR 8,714

263.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,718

$1,171 MYR 4,781

266.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,390

$1,310 MYR 5,350

22.26%

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 Kedah: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $386 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 22% 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 Kedah. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $277, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Kedah differ by about 164% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $863 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $386 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $235 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $863 in Kedah versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kedah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kedah 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 Kedah 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 Kedah 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.