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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,070 in Muar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,567 in Muar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,064 in Muar.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 112% more expensive than in Muar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Muar is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$5.05 MYR 20.47

247.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$29.56 MYR 120

118.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$4.04 MYR 16.37

188.37%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$3.23 MYR 13.10

0.93%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$0.87 MYR 3.53

186.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.46 MYR 1.88

263.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$4.42 MYR 17.93

-21.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$6.06 MYR 24.58

-40.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.10 MYR 8.53

-43.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.12 MYR 4.54

74.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$2.01 MYR 8.16

-22.39%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$2.59 MYR 10.52

54.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$15.69 MYR 63.7

-15.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$4.79 MYR 19.44

75.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$9.67 MYR 39.24

88.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.43 MYR 13.90

-32.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.84 MYR 7.48

-5.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.37 MYR 9.60

-18.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.61 MYR 6.53

63.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.32 MYR 5.35

43.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.39 MYR 5.64

51.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.21 MYR 4.89

19.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.75 MYR 3.05

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$4.33 MYR 17.56

61.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$19.37 MYR 78.6

-69.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$3.43 MYR 13.91

-60.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$4.87 MYR 19.76

-55.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.77 MYR 3.11

209.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$12.44 MYR 50.5

271.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$1.22 MYR 4.96

243.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.50 MYR 2.03

120.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$4.94 MYR 20.04

249.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$0.77 MYR 3.12

192.21%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$42.6K MYR 173.0K

-19.18%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$35.7K MYR 145.0K

16.47%

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

$171 €147

$64.7 MYR 262

164.11%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$9.18 MYR 37.24

107.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$25.92 MYR 105

32.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$41.05 MYR 167

20.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$6.51 MYR 26.39

199.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$5.44 MYR 22.06

85.66%

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

$699 €601

$304 MYR 1,234

129.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,996 MYR 20.3K

255.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$72.0 MYR 292

45.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$43.22 MYR 175

10.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$89.0 MYR 361

14.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$97.8 MYR 397

31.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$428 MYR 1,736

288.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$334 MYR 1,354

267.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$695 MYR 2,821

319.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$492 MYR 1,994

311.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$2,032 MYR 8,245

299.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$1,148 MYR 4,656

303.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

$609 MYR 2,471

165.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.2

-10.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Muar: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $428 in Muar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 166% 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 $30.00 in Muar. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $283, 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 112% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,070 including rent). Muar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 166% 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 $428 in Muar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $304 in Muar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,070 in Muar versus $2,268 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 112% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.