Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Langkawi

For one person, living is cheaper in Langkawi: $531 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Langkawi, Malaysia
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Langkawi
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$531
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Langkawi

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 Langkawi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $531 in Langkawi, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Langkawi $531

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $764 in Langkawi, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Langkawi $764

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $997 in Langkawi, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Langkawi $997

Lisbon costs about 316% more than Langkawi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Langkawi is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Langkawi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.96
$3.35 MYR 13.68
397.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$19.89 MYR 81.3
210.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$6.34 MYR 25.93
79.18%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$1.59 MYR 6.51
86.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$0.84 MYR 3.44
172.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.57 MYR 2.32
205.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$1.72 MYR 7.05
97.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$2.21 MYR 9.05
49.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Langkawi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.73 MYR 7.07
-32.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.32 MYR 5.38
44.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
-
-
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$1.78 MYR 7.29
125.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$17.15 MYR 70.1
-24.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.99
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.96
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$2.00 MYR 8.16
15.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$0.95 MYR 3.87
82.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.76 MYR 7.19
5.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$1.70 MYR 6.94
52.35%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$0.70 MYR 2.85
181.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.92
$3.74 MYR 15.29
75.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$8.48 MYR 34.64
-33.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$0.95 MYR 3.89
43.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.19 MYR 4.87
79.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Langkawi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$0.87 MYR 3.54
152.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$24.7K MYR 101.1K
38.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Langkawi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$37.13 MYR 152
334.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Langkawi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.03
$24.05 MYR 98.3
85.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Langkawi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Langkawi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.7
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.95
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Langkawi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$305 MYR 1,247
427.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$240 MYR 983
394.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,527
$361 MYR 1,475
679.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,809
$318 MYR 1,299
533.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,043
$1,156 MYR 4,724
578.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,111
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Langkawi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$1,233 MYR 5,038
27.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
0
-

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Langkawi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Langkawi
–
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Langkawi
–
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Langkawi
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Langkawi
–
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Langkawi
–
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Langkawi
–
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Langkawi
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $305 in Langkawi. 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 28% 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 $20 in Langkawi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $146 – making Langkawi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇲🇾 Langkawi
🕒 Local time
13:01 1:01 PM
21:01 9:01 PM
8 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
30,212
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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 = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Langkawi 11,180 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Langkawi

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 Langkawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lisbon and in Langkawi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $531 in Langkawi – roughly 316% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Langkawi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $796 in Langkawi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lisbon and Langkawi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Langkawi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $305 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $20 in Langkawi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Langkawi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $531 in Langkawi. That’s a gap of about 316%.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Langkawi, where all-in costs run around $531, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Langkawi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Langkawi?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $531 in Langkawi to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Lisbon or Langkawi safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Langkawi?
If budget matters most, go with Langkawi. 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.

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