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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $944 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,399 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,853 in Kedah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 143% more expensive than in Kedah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Kedah is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$3.51 MYR 14.38

401.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$12.36 MYR 50.6

408.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$5.03 MYR 20.58

130.22%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.66 MYR 10.91

16.54%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.91 MYR 3.74

173.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.33 MYR 1.34

427.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.41 MYR 9.87

44.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.29 MYR 17.56

-19.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.43 MYR 9.95

-52.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.36 MYR 5.57

40.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.76 MYR 7.20

-14.77%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.62 MYR 10.71

51.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$15.65 MYR 64.0

-15.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$4.90 MYR 20.07

63.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$9.56 MYR 39.14

88.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.36 MYR 9.65

-0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.45 MYR 5.92

20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.28 MYR 9.32

-18.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.25 MYR 5.13

104.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.91 MYR 3.74

102.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.79 MYR 3.23

165.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.77 MYR 3.17

93.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.65 MYR 2.66

26.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$4.66 MYR 19.08

52.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$21.25 MYR 87.0

-72.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.49 MYR 10.18

-47.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.63 MYR 14.85

-41.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.74 MYR 3.04

218.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$11.77 MYR 48.18

296.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.22 MYR 4.99

234.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.50 MYR 2.06

128.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$6.64 MYR 27.19

157.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.60 MYR 2.45

285.00%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$41.8K MYR 171.1K

-18.38%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$28.8K MYR 117.7K

43.88%

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

$169 €147

$50.7 MYR 207

232.77%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$7.98 MYR 32.64

142.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$32.15 MYR 132

4.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$39.87 MYR 163

22.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$5.78 MYR 23.67

236.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$4.81 MYR 19.69

98.96%

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

$696 €606

$171 MYR 698

308.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$4,987 MYR 20.4K

247.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$54.5 MYR 223

93.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$35.20 MYR 144

35.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$72.3 MYR 296

38.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$69.5 MYR 284

79.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$416 MYR 1,701

299.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$320 MYR 1,311

289.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$693 MYR 2,837

327.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$451 MYR 1,847

353.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$1,745 MYR 7,141

349.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$1,006 MYR 4,117

343.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$1,329 MYR 5,440

22.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.43

-14.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Kedah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $416 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 23% 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 $12.00 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $269 per month, with Kedah 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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Kedah differ by about 143% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $944 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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 $416 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $171 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $944 in Kedah versus $2,296 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 143% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.