Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Malang Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Malang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $480 in Malang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $755 in Malang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,030 in Malang.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 360% more expensive than Malang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Malang is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$1.27 Rp 22.6K

1152.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$12.35 Rp 220.5K

424.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$3.06 Rp 54.6K

243.46%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.41 Rp 25.1K

103.55%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.57 Rp 10.2K

292.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.22 Rp 3,922

581.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.40 Rp 42.9K

45.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.10 Rp 55.3K

25.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.13 Rp 20.2K

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.52 Rp 27.1K

15.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

102.30%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.45 Rp 25.9K

122.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$6.47 Rp 115.5K

108.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.18 Rp 56.7K

148.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.16 Rp 127.9K

121.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.33 Rp 41.6K

-0.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.51 Rp 26.9K

12.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.75 Rp 31.3K

14.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.45 Rp 25.8K

69.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.32 Rp 23.5K

39.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.77 Rp 31.6K

12.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.51 Rp 9,035

278.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.41 Rp 7,301

92.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.47 Rp 44.1K

167.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$12.73 Rp 227.3K

-55.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.83 Rp 32.6K

-25.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.31 Rp 59.2K

-10.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.62 Rp 11.1K

282.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$6.23 Rp 111.2K

631.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.47 Rp 8,480

812.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.31 Rp 5,614

164.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.26 Rp 111.9K

192.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

171.05%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$20.6K Rp 367.4M

66.62%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$27.2K Rp 484.9M

44.71%

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

$148 €127

$33.63 Rp 600.6K

339.70%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$2.55 Rp 45.5K

704.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$19.60 Rp 350.0K

102.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$14.59 Rp 260.6K

227.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$4.90 Rp 87.5K

286.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

323.04%

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

$614 €528

$34.05 Rp 608.1K

1703.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$9,339 Rp 166.8M

71.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$42.84 Rp 765.0K

144.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$30.31 Rp 541.2K

38.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$60.4 Rp 1.1M

55.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$82.3 Rp 1.5M

45.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$160 Rp 2.9M

915.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$50.0 Rp 893.4K

2408.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$276 Rp 4.9M

997.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$91.2 Rp 1.6M

2115.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$198 Rp 3.5M

708.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-4.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Malang: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $160 in Malang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 709% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $12.00 in Malang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $183 per month, with Malang 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 Malang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Malang differ by about 360% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $480 including rent). Malang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 709% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $160 in Malang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $34.05 in Malang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $480 in Malang versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Malang but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Malang 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 Malang 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 Malang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 360% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.