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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $753 in Malacca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,157 in Malacca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,562 in Malacca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 201% more expensive than Malacca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Malacca is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$3.61 MYR 14.63

341.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$18.57 MYR 75.3

241.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.59 MYR 18.62

126.14%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.89 MYR 11.72

-3.46%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.79 MYR 3.19

196.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.49 MYR 1.98

220.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.14 MYR 8.66

60.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.12 MYR 12.67

25.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.48 MYR 6.01

-27.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.98 MYR 3.99

80.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.23 MYR 5.00

39.02%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.81 MYR 7.35

74.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$15.36 MYR 62.3

-10.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$4.99 MYR 20.23

60.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$11.48 MYR 46.57

35.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$3.74 MYR 15.16

-38.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.48 MYR 5.98

10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.65 MYR 10.74

-26.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.03 MYR 8.21

23.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.53 MYR 6.22

16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.73 MYR 7.02

16.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.28 MYR 5.17

53.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.56 MYR 2.27

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.15 MYR 16.82

63.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$14.09 MYR 57.2

-59.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.99 MYR 8.08

-30.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.92 MYR 11.85

3.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.45 MYR 1.84

404.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$11.84 MYR 48.02

283.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.39 MYR 5.64

208.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.99 MYR 4.01

-14.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$5.88 MYR 23.84

210.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.49 MYR 2.00

306.12%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$35.9K MYR 145.5K

-2.33%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$38.2K MYR 154.8K

3.58%

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

$146 €126

$44.85 MYR 182

225.93%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$9.25 MYR 37.53

121.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$30.20 MYR 122

29.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$16.76 MYR 68.0

192.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$11.71 MYR 47.48

60.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$4.90 MYR 19.86

94.29%

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

$608 €524

$188 MYR 762

223.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$6,873 MYR 27.9K

140.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$65.5 MYR 266

58.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$19.13 MYR 77.6

120.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$71.8 MYR 291

28.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$40.10 MYR 163

199.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$334 MYR 1,355

385.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$189 MYR 768

569.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$706 MYR 2,862

331.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$281 MYR 1,139

615.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,956 MYR 7,932

291.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$991 MYR 4,017

337.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$934 MYR 3,788

69.66%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Malacca: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $334 in Malacca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 70% 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 $269 vs $254 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 201% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $753 including rent). Malacca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 70% more on average, 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $334 in Malacca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $188 in Malacca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $753 in Malacca versus $2,263 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 201% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.