Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Malacca Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Malacca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $764 in Malacca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,161 in Malacca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,558 in Malacca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 198% more expensive than in Malacca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Malacca is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$3.64 MYR 14.86

332.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$18.74 MYR 76.5

238.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$4.58 MYR 18.69

128.17%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.00 MYR 12.25

-3.00%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.83 MYR 3.41

175.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.45 MYR 1.84

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.09 MYR 8.55

70.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.22 MYR 13.15

22.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.44 MYR 5.87

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.95 MYR 3.88

85.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.29 MYR 5.28

31.78%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.83 MYR 7.46

77.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$15.41 MYR 62.9

-14.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$4.95 MYR 20.23

55.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$11.54 MYR 47.13

36.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$3.67 MYR 15.00

-37.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.48 MYR 6.03

12.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.55 MYR 10.43

-20.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.03 MYR 8.30

21.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.53 MYR 6.26

16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.75 MYR 7.16

18.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.27 MYR 5.19

55.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.57 MYR 2.31

45.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$4.29 MYR 17.51

52.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$13.86 MYR 56.6

-59.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.01 MYR 8.22

-33.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.90 MYR 11.85

3.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.45 MYR 1.86

404.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$11.61 MYR 47.42

299.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.45 MYR 5.93

191.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.00 MYR 4.07

-15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$5.84 MYR 23.85

222.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.50 MYR 2.03

304.00%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$35.7K MYR 145.6K

-1.94%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$39.0K MYR 159.4K

1.55%

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

$148 €128

$46.10 MYR 188

220.89%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$9.29 MYR 37.95

120.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$30.58 MYR 125

29.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$16.75 MYR 68.4

187.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$11.61 MYR 47.39

58.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$4.85 MYR 19.80

87.63%

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

$615 €532

$189 MYR 770

226.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,912 MYR 28.2K

135.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$64.4 MYR 263

57.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$18.96 MYR 77.4

121.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$74.3 MYR 304

24.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$40.62 MYR 166

200.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$330 MYR 1,349

387.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$189 MYR 772

562.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$704 MYR 2,875

335.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$280 MYR 1,143

627.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$2,049 MYR 8,368

278.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,151 MYR 4,699

272.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$893 MYR 3,646

79.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.07

-6.39%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Malacca: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $330 in Malacca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 79% 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 $19.00 in Malacca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $253 per month, with Malacca 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 Malacca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Malacca differ by about 198% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $764 including rent). Malacca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $330 in Malacca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $189 in Malacca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $764 in Malacca versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malacca but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Malacca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Malacca 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 Malacca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 198% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.