Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Miri Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Miri

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $820 in Miri.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,253 in Miri.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,686 in Miri.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 180% more expensive than in Miri, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Miri is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$3.59 MYR 14.66

389.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$12.47 MYR 50.9

404.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$4.65 MYR 18.99

149.03%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.38 MYR 9.73

30.25%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.85 MYR 3.46

192.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.28 MYR 1.13

521.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.98 MYR 12.16

16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.86 MYR 15.75

-10.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.43 MYR 5.83

-19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.89 MYR 7.73

1.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.01 MYR 4.14

48.51%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.55 MYR 14.48

12.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$4.82 MYR 19.69

66.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$14.88 MYR 60.7

21.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.96 MYR 7.99

-10.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.36 MYR 1.45

127.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.47 MYR 18.26

58.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$19.69 MYR 80.4

-69.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.04 MYR 12.40

-56.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.32 MYR 9.49

-8.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.50 MYR 2.05

372.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$14.52 MYR 59.3

221.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.19 MYR 4.87

242.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.60 MYR 2.44

90.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$6.17 MYR 25.18

176.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.60 MYR 2.44

285.00%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$50.2K MYR 204.8K

-31.98%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$33.6K MYR 137.0K

23.30%

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

$169 €147

$50.2 MYR 205

235.62%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$9.62 MYR 39.26

100.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$32.89 MYR 134

1.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$29.83 MYR 122

63.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$6.09 MYR 24.87

219.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$4.53 MYR 18.50

111.26%

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

$696 €607

$102 MYR 415

584.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$6,506 MYR 26.6K

166.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$44.24 MYR 181

138.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$22.85 MYR 93.3

108.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$56.7 MYR 231

77.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$42.85 MYR 175

190.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$340 MYR 1,388

388.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$286 MYR 1,168

335.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$596 MYR 2,431

397.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$581 MYR 2,370

252.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,224 MYR 4,999

539.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$672 MYR 2,744

564.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$689 MYR 2,811

136.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.12

-8.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Miri: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $340 in Miri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 137% 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 $12.00 in Miri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $195 per month, with Miri 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 Miri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Miri differ by about 180% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $820 including rent). Miri is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 137% 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 $340 in Miri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $102 in Miri. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $820 in Miri versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miri but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Miri 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 Miri 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 Miri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.