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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $482 in Malang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $736 in Malang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $990 in Malang.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 371% more expensive than in Malang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$1.10 Rp 19.3K

1495.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$11.41 Rp 200.8K

465.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$2.85 Rp 50.2K

308.77%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.35 Rp 23.7K

141.48%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.62 Rp 10.8K

301.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.24 Rp 4,241

595.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.19 Rp 38.6K

58.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.13 Rp 72.8K

-13.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.95 Rp 16.7K

24.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.10 Rp 19.4K

77.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

100.00%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.20 Rp 21.1K

234.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$5.86 Rp 103.1K

126.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$3.13 Rp 55.2K

169.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.15 Rp 125.9K

154.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.04 Rp 36.0K

13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.31 Rp 23.1K

32.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

24.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.42 Rp 25.1K

85.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.29 Rp 22.6K

47.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.94 Rp 34.1K

8.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.51 Rp 9,009

182.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.41 Rp 7,178

95.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.74 Rp 48.3K

155.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$12.83 Rp 226.0K

-53.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

-22.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.89 Rp 50.9K

-25.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.60 Rp 10.6K

296.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$5.78 Rp 101.7K

699.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.47 Rp 8,220

791.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.41 Rp 7,222

168.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$5.69 Rp 100.1K

203.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.63 Rp 11.2K

257.14%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$26.0K Rp 457.1M

32.76%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$27.6K Rp 486.0M

50.76%

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

$171 €147

$31.44 Rp 553.5K

443.51%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$2.39 Rp 42.2K

695.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$19.73 Rp 347.3K

73.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$14.60 Rp 257.0K

240.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$4.50 Rp 79.2K

333.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$2.02 Rp 35.6K

400.00%

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

$699 €603

$31.03 Rp 546.3K

2153.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$9,700 Rp 170.8M

83.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$56.5 Rp 994.7K

85.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$22.81 Rp 401.7K

110.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$53.3 Rp 937.7K

91.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$36.37 Rp 640.2K

252.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$142 Rp 2.5M

1067.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$95.0 Rp 1.7M

1192.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$196 Rp 3.5M

1385.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$154 Rp 2.7M

1217.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$201 Rp 3.5M

707.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-5.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Malang: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $142 in Malang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 707% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $11.00 in Malang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $169 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 371% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $482 including rent). Malang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 707% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $142 in Malang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $31.03 in Malang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $482 in Malang versus $2,268 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 371% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.