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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,003 in Kulim, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,289 per month in Lisbon vs $1,508 in Kulim, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,369 per month in Lisbon vs $2,014 in Kulim, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 120% more than Kulim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 65% above the global median, while Kulim is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.78

$2.61 MYR 10.66

501.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.2

$23.18 MYR 94.8

171.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.24

$3.84 MYR 15.71

174.22%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.53

$2.23 MYR 9.10

29.15%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$0.71 MYR 2.92

216.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$0.34 MYR 1.37

358.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.97

$4.30 MYR 17.59

-21.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.42

$5.32 MYR 21.74

-26.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.89 MYR 7.71

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.13 MYR 4.62

53.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.44 MYR 5.87

22.22%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.77

$1.84 MYR 7.53

71.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.66

$22.46 MYR 91.8

-40.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.90

$4.76 MYR 19.44

65.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.89

$10.41 MYR 42.55

52.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$4.06 MYR 16.61

-40.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.69 MYR 6.90

0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.46 MYR 14.15

-41.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$2.66 MYR 10.88

-5.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.74 MYR 7.13

6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.99 MYR 4.05

108.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.11 MYR 4.56

80.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.68

$0.56 MYR 2.27

39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.83

$4.35 MYR 17.77

52.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.07

$16.46 MYR 67.3

-64.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$4.21 MYR 17.21

-67.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$5.65 MYR 23.11

-46.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.04

$0.49 MYR 2.01

375.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.88

$11.98 MYR 48.96

279.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$1.19 MYR 4.88

242.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.99 MYR 4.05

-19.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.36

$4.42 MYR 18.08

321.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$0.47 MYR 1.92

325.53%

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

$35.4K €31.0K

$44.1K MYR 180.2K

-19.74%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$31.0K MYR 126.5K

26.22%

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

$150 €132

$75.6 MYR 309

98.52%

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

$20.55 €18.03

$9.93 MYR 40.58

106.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.61

$28.60 MYR 117

37.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.17

$37.15 MYR 152

29.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.40

$5.85 MYR 23.93

219.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.16

$5.62 MYR 22.97

65.48%

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

$628 €551

$117 MYR 478

437.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$4,247 MYR 17.4K

287.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.1

$108 MYR 442

-6.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.45

$27.39 MYR 112

51.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.1

$74.9 MYR 306

23.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$78.5 MYR 321

56.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,428

$390 MYR 1,595

317.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,081

$271 MYR 1,106

355.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,742

$657 MYR 2,687

375.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,805

$467 MYR 1,909

340.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,810

$1,759 MYR 7,191

341.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,848

$1,263 MYR 5,161

247.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,422

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Kulim: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Lisbon versus $390 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 $23.00 in Kulim. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Lisbon vs $307 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 120% 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 $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,504 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 14% 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 $23.00 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 $1,003, than in Lisbon at $2,210. 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 $1,003 versus $2,210 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.