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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $869 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,333 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,797 in Kedah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 156% more expensive than Kedah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Kedah is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$3.10 MYR 12.26

421.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$20.93 MYR 82.7

208.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$4.12 MYR 16.26

151.94%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.92 MYR 11.52

-5.14%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.74 MYR 2.91

204.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.36 MYR 1.44

336.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$4.29 MYR 16.95

-18.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$4.53 MYR 17.91

-11.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.81 MYR 7.16

-40.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.92 MYR 3.65

89.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.21 MYR 4.78

43.80%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.06 MYR 8.15

54.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$14.78 MYR 58.4

-9.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$4.98 MYR 19.67

60.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$14.83 MYR 58.6

8.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.78 MYR 10.99

-17.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.20 MYR 4.76

43.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.71 MYR 10.70

-28.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.15 MYR 8.51

18.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.17 MYR 4.64

56.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.18 MYR 4.64

72.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.95 MYR 3.74

108.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.45 MYR 1.77

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$4.32 MYR 17.08

58.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$19.89 MYR 78.6

-70.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.69 MYR 10.61

-49.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.54 MYR 13.96

-18.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.68 MYR 2.70

235.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$11.59 MYR 45.78

304.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.72 MYR 2.86

466.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.47 MYR 1.85

74.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.96 MYR 27.49

162.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$0.49 MYR 1.94

310.20%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$33.7K MYR 133.3K

4.53%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$27.2K MYR 107.4K

41.49%

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

$145 €124

$37.91 MYR 150

283.54%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$10.09 MYR 39.84

107.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$11.64 MYR 45.97

244.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$37.47 MYR 148

30.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$5.95 MYR 23.49

214.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$2.77 MYR 10.95

227.08%

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

$607 €519

$238 MYR 942

154.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$6,226 MYR 24.6K

162.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$54.7 MYR 216

91.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$29.36 MYR 116

39.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$61.0 MYR 241

53.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$52.8 MYR 208

124.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$394 MYR 1,558

306.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$265 MYR 1,046

366.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$656 MYR 2,590

364.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$470 MYR 1,858

337.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,947 MYR 7,692

295.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$795 MYR 3,142

436.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,390 MYR 5,491

13.95%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Kedah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $394 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 14% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $21.00 in Kedah. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $272, 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 156% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $869 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 14% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $394 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $238 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $869 in Kedah versus $2,227 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 156% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.