Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Muar Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Muar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $989 in Muar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,485 in Muar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,982 in Muar.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 127% more expensive than Muar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Muar is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$2.64 MYR 10.45

495.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$23.71 MYR 93.7

166.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$3.26 MYR 12.88

216.56%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$2.26 MYR 8.94

24.34%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.78 MYR 3.08

198.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.33 MYR 1.31

357.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$4.26 MYR 16.83

-20.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$5.29 MYR 20.90

-26.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.82 MYR 7.20

-40.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.08 MYR 4.25

62.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.44 MYR 5.70

21.53%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$1.84 MYR 7.28

68.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$22.15 MYR 87.5

-40.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$5.01 MYR 19.81

56.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$10.80 MYR 42.64

48.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$3.94 MYR 15.56

-39.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.76 MYR 6.97

-2.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$3.35 MYR 13.22

-41.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$2.57 MYR 10.13

-0.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.68 MYR 6.63

6.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.04 MYR 4.11

89.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.09 MYR 4.29

79.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.55 MYR 2.19

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.32 MYR 17.08

57.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$19.29 MYR 76.2

-69.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$4.37 MYR 17.25

-68.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$5.62 MYR 22.19

-48.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.73 MYR 2.89

213.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$11.80 MYR 46.60

297.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$1.17 MYR 4.60

252.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.09 MYR 4.32

-25.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$4.35 MYR 17.19

335.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$0.50 MYR 1.97

318.00%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$43.0K MYR 170.0K

-18.40%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$31.1K MYR 122.9K

27.62%

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

$150 €128

$74.1 MYR 293

101.86%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$9.74 MYR 38.49

110.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$28.20 MYR 111

38.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$37.24 MYR 147

33.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$5.92 MYR 23.39

211.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$5.61 MYR 22.18

63.99%

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

$624 €533

$120 MYR 475

419.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$4,376 MYR 17.3K

263.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$111 MYR 440

-8.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$27.65 MYR 109

47.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$76.1 MYR 301

25.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$78.3 MYR 309

54.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$383 MYR 1,515

331.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$273 MYR 1,080

350.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$650 MYR 2,569

367.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$471 MYR 1,862

336.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,721 MYR 6,797

357.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$931 MYR 3,676

362.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$623 MYR 2,460

151.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.96

-3.79%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Muar: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $383 in Muar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 152% 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 in Lisbon vs $24 in Muar. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $312, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Muar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Muar differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $989 including rent). Muar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 152% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $383 in Muar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $120 in Muar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $989 in Muar versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Muar but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Muar 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 Muar 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 Muar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.