Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kuching Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kuching

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $774 in Kuching.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,217 in Kuching.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,660 in Kuching.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 186% more expensive than Kuching, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Kuching is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$2.84 MYR 11.28

460.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$20.23 MYR 80.2

220.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.63 MYR 18.35

127.00%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.44 MYR 9.68

17.62%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.69 MYR 2.75

224.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.32 MYR 1.28

368.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.76 MYR 10.95

26.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.56 MYR 14.13

8.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.91 MYR 7.56

-40.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.12 MYR 4.45

56.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.03 MYR 4.08

70.87%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.17 MYR 8.60

48.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$9.74 MYR 38.62

38.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.90 MYR 15.45

102.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$8.04 MYR 31.86

97.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.11 MYR 12.35

-25.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.11 MYR 4.39

53.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.58 MYR 10.22

-22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.78 MYR 7.04

38.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.14 MYR 4.52

61.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.17 MYR 4.66

70.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.74 MYR 6.88

10.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.53 MYR 2.11

49.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.14 MYR 16.42

59.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$21.39 MYR 84.8

-73.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$3.87 MYR 15.34

-64.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.50 MYR 13.89

-15.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.25 MYR 0.99

848.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$11.64 MYR 46.14

291.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.91 MYR 3.60

371.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.14 MYR 4.53

-28.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$1.83 MYR 7.27

900.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.49 MYR 1.94

320.41%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$45.0K MYR 178.4K

-23.82%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$36.0K MYR 142.9K

9.05%

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

$148 €127

$41.77 MYR 166

254.01%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$8.95 MYR 35.50

129.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$25.07 MYR 99.4

58.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$29.40 MYR 117

62.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$9.60 MYR 38.08

97.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.73 MYR 18.77

94.08%

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

$614 €528

$143 MYR 569

328.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,074 MYR 24.1K

164.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$65.9 MYR 261

58.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$31.95 MYR 127

31.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$85.9 MYR 340

9.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$73.0 MYR 289

64.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$276 MYR 1,093

490.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$201 MYR 798

524.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$566 MYR 2,243

435.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$387 MYR 1,536

421.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,159 MYR 8,560

261.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,568 MYR 6,219

172.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$555 MYR 2,201

188.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.27

-10.77%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kuching: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $276 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 189% 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 $20.00 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $246 per month, with Kuching 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 Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 186% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 189% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $276 in Kuching. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuching – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $774 in Kuching – a 186% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $774 in Kuching versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuching but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kuching the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kuching is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Kuching 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 Kuching gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.