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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $595 in Malacca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $952 in Malacca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,308 in Malacca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 286% more expensive than in Malacca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Malacca is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$3.26 MYR 13.33

439.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$21.58 MYR 88.3

191.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$5.00 MYR 20.45

131.60%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.98 MYR 12.21

4.03%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.79 MYR 3.24

215.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.52 MYR 2.11

234.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.93 MYR 7.91

80.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.03 MYR 12.39

13.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.70 MYR 6.96

-32.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.07 MYR 4.37

78.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.45 MYR 5.94

3.45%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.66 MYR 6.78

139.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$18.34 MYR 75.1

-27.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$4.49 MYR 18.38

78.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$10.89 MYR 44.56

65.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.40 MYR 13.93

-30.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.75 MYR 7.16

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.49 MYR 10.19

-25.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.63 MYR 6.68

56.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.41 MYR 5.79

30.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.72 MYR 7.03

22.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.32 MYR 5.40

12.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.55 MYR 2.27

49.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$4.35 MYR 17.81

63.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$14.05 MYR 57.5

-57.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.19 MYR 8.96

-40.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.09 MYR 12.65

-31.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.51 MYR 2.08

362.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$12.41 MYR 50.8

275.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.49 MYR 6.08

173.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.71 MYR 2.92

60.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$12.24 MYR 50.1

39.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.48 MYR 1.96

381.25%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$41.2K MYR 168.8K

-17.26%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$36.2K MYR 148.1K

14.39%

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

$169 €147

$53.5 MYR 219

215.05%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$11.00 MYR 45.03

75.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$29.25 MYR 120

14.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$22.55 MYR 92.3

116.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$11.60 MYR 47.49

67.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$5.02 MYR 20.53

90.64%

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

$696 €606

$166 MYR 679

319.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$4,526 MYR 18.5K

283.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$66.0 MYR 270

59.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$16.61 MYR 68.0

187.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$80.6 MYR 330

24.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$40.95 MYR 168

203.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$196 MYR 802

748.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$1,188 MYR 4,862

559.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$796 MYR 3,257

461.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$422 MYR 1,728

286.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.06

-6.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Malacca: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $196 in Malacca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 286% 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 $22.00 in Malacca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $261 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 286% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $595 including rent). Malacca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 286% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $196 in Malacca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $166 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 $595 in Malacca versus $2,296 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 286% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.