Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,074 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Kuala Lumpur

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Kuala Lumpur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Kuala Lumpur $1,074

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $1,622 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Kuala Lumpur $1,622

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $2,170 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Kuala Lumpur $2,170

Lisbon costs about 106% more than Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Kuala Lumpur is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$4.98 MYR 20.28

234.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$29.03 MYR 118

112.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$4.85 MYR 19.78

134.23%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$3.02 MYR 12.30

-1.66%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$0.79 MYR 3.21

189.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$0.45 MYR 1.85

286.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$4.48 MYR 18.24

-24.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$6.16 MYR 25.11

-46.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.11 MYR 8.60

-45.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$1.12 MYR 4.56

70.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.93 MYR 7.86

-21.76%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$2.46 MYR 10.01

63.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$14.24 MYR 58.0

-9.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$4.37 MYR 17.80

77.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$9.86 MYR 40.19

80.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$3.46 MYR 14.09

-33.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.78 MYR 7.25

-2.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$2.27 MYR 9.24

-18.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$1.51 MYR 6.16

71.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$1.23 MYR 5.01

47.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.30 MYR 5.31

51.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.14 MYR 4.64

28.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.71 MYR 2.88

1.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$4.29 MYR 17.46

53.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$19.77 MYR 80.5

-71.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$3.36 MYR 13.71

-59.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$5.02 MYR 20.45

-57.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$0.70 MYR 2.86

232.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$12.44 MYR 50.7

259.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$1.20 MYR 4.87

220.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.25 MYR 5.07

-14.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$4.98 MYR 20.30

230.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$0.89 MYR 3.62

147.19%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$44.5K MYR 181.5K

-23.25%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$34.6K MYR 141.1K

11.86%

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

$161 €145

$63.5 MYR 259

154.05%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$8.62 MYR 35.13

113.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$26.24 MYR 107

24.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

$49.20 MYR 200

-9.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$7.32 MYR 29.84

160.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$4.97 MYR 20.27

93.16%

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

$668 €600

$472 MYR 1,921

41.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$13.2K MYR 53.8K

33.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$72.2 MYR 294

41.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$41.48 MYR 169

7.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$83.9 MYR 342

17.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$94.3 MYR 384

31.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$685 MYR 2,792

134.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$358 MYR 1,459

232.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$1,212 MYR 4,938

132.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$593 MYR 2,417

239.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

$3,760 MYR 15.3K

108.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$1,565 MYR 6,375

192.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$1,458 MYR 5,939

8.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

4.17

-7.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3% 69.9% $832

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5% 0.7% $2

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1% 46.3% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2% 53.7% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2% 20.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5% 7.2% $4.6

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1% 64.1% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $29 in Kuala Lumpur. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Lisbon vs $274 in Kuala Lumpur – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

20:48 8:48 PM

04:48 4:48 AM

8 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Lisbon Kuala Lumpur 11,570 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

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Lisbon
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kuala Lumpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 106%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,611 in Kuala Lumpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Lumpur, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $685 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $29 in Kuala Lumpur. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Kuala Lumpur. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Lumpur, where all-in costs run around $1,074, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Kuala Lumpur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Lumpur – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Kuala Lumpur. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.