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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $778 in Kuching.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,219 in Kuching.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,661 in Kuching.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 195% more expensive than in Kuching, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Kuching is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$2.79 MYR 11.41

480.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$19.69 MYR 80.6

221.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$4.85 MYR 19.85

112.78%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$2.55 MYR 10.44

10.98%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.72 MYR 2.94

218.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.32 MYR 1.32

393.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.85 MYR 11.68

19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.69 MYR 15.10

9.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.88 MYR 7.69

-42.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.14 MYR 4.66

53.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.01 MYR 4.13

74.26%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.19 MYR 8.95

44.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$9.41 MYR 38.50

40.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$3.73 MYR 15.25

113.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$8.24 MYR 33.74

88.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.04 MYR 12.42

-22.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.11 MYR 4.56

54.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$2.59 MYR 10.60

-22.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$1.77 MYR 7.26

37.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.11 MYR 4.53

58.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.23 MYR 5.02

65.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.68 MYR 6.89

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.49 MYR 2.00

73.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$4.29 MYR 17.57

53.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$21.05 MYR 86.2

-73.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$3.72 MYR 15.21

-64.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.47 MYR 14.21

-14.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.25 MYR 1.02

812.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$11.60 MYR 47.48

294.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$0.97 MYR 3.97

336.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.15 MYR 4.70

-29.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$1.92 MYR 7.86

860.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.46 MYR 1.90

352.17%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$46.2K MYR 189.3K

-25.04%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$37.4K MYR 152.9K

4.82%

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

$148 €129

$42.30 MYR 173

250.00%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$8.93 MYR 36.55

129.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$25.54 MYR 105

54.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$29.54 MYR 121

62.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$10.01 MYR 40.98

85.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$4.68 MYR 19.16

97.01%

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

$616 €538

$144 MYR 587

329.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,063 MYR 24.8K

171.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$66.3 MYR 272

54.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$32.21 MYR 132

29.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$86.7 MYR 355

9.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$71.2 MYR 292

71.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$284 MYR 1,163

474.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$207 MYR 848

494.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$560 MYR 2,290

453.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$384 MYR 1,571

429.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$2,033 MYR 8,319

285.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$1,515 MYR 6,199

189.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$531 MYR 2,172

202.82%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Kuching: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $284 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 203% 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 $20.00 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $242 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 195% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 203% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $284 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 $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $778 in Kuching – a 195% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $778 in Kuching versus $2,291 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 195% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.