Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kulim Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kulim

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,263 per month in Lisbon vs $981 in Kulim, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,315 per month in Lisbon vs $1,514 in Kulim, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,368 per month in Lisbon vs $2,048 in Kulim, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 131% more than Kulim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 68% above the global median, while Kulim is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$2.54 MYR 10.31

527.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$23.96 MYR 97.2

164.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$3.82 MYR 15.52

171.73%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$2.26 MYR 9.17

23.45%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$0.74 MYR 3.00

216.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$0.36 MYR 1.47

336.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$4.33 MYR 17.58

-20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$5.27 MYR 21.37

-25.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.91 MYR 7.77

-43.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.13 MYR 4.59

56.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.43 MYR 5.81

19.58%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$1.85 MYR 7.50

70.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$22.18 MYR 90.0

-38.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$4.97 MYR 20.17

61.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$10.66 MYR 43.25

45.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$3.84 MYR 15.59

-40.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.70 MYR 6.89

-3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$3.41 MYR 13.86

-43.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$2.56 MYR 10.40

-1.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.76 MYR 7.14

1.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.05 MYR 4.25

91.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.07 MYR 4.34

84.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.55 MYR 2.24

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$4.15 MYR 16.84

63.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$17.62 MYR 71.5

-67.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$4.20 MYR 17.04

-66.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$5.38 MYR 21.84

-43.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.53 MYR 2.17

328.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$11.77 MYR 47.75

286.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.21 MYR 4.90

254.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.03 MYR 4.16

-17.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$4.39 MYR 17.80

316.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.50 MYR 2.03

298.00%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$44.1K MYR 179.0K

-20.57%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$31.6K MYR 128.2K

25.18%

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

$146 €127

$73.0 MYR 296

100.30%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$9.90 MYR 40.18

106.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$28.12 MYR 114

38.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$36.80 MYR 149

33.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$5.71 MYR 23.19

229.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$5.61 MYR 22.76

69.70%

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

$608 €527

$117 MYR 476

418.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$4,336 MYR 17.6K

280.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$112 MYR 453

-6.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$27.79 MYR 113

51.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$74.1 MYR 301

24.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$79.0 MYR 321

51.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$383 MYR 1,556

322.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$266 MYR 1,079

376.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$638 MYR 2,587

378.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$474 MYR 1,924

323.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$2,197 MYR 8,917

248.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$972 MYR 3,946

345.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.96

-3.79%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Kulim: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,621 in Lisbon versus $383 in Kulim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon versus $24.00 in Kulim. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Lisbon vs $308 in Kulim – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kulim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 131% more than Kulim, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,394 per month in Lisbon and $1,471 in Kulim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kulim, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon and $24.00 in Kulim. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kulim, where all-in costs run around $981, than in Lisbon at $2,263. In Kulim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kulim costs $981 versus $2,263 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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