Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nilai Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nilai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,003 in Nilai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,453 in Nilai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,903 in Nilai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 126% more expensive than in Nilai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Nilai is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$3.82 MYR 15.50

359.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$19.72 MYR 80.0

227.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$6.34 MYR 25.74

83.75%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$3.39 MYR 13.75

-3.83%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$0.84 MYR 3.39

196.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.39 MYR 1.56

328.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.66 MYR 14.85

-5.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$4.68 MYR 18.99

-23.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.88 MYR 7.61

-37.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.41 MYR 5.70

38.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.44 MYR 5.84

8.33%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$1.85 MYR 7.51

116.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$13.55 MYR 55.0

-2.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$4.44 MYR 18.00

89.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$9.82 MYR 39.84

85.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.19 MYR 12.96

-27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.69 MYR 6.84

2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.48 MYR 10.07

-22.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.61 MYR 6.51

63.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.37 MYR 5.55

38.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.21 MYR 4.91

74.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.21 MYR 4.93

19.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.52 MYR 2.12

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$4.61 MYR 18.69

52.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$17.61 MYR 71.4

-66.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$3.09 MYR 12.52

-55.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$4.09 MYR 16.59

-47.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.65 MYR 2.63

266.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$10.91 MYR 44.26

323.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$1.25 MYR 5.06

235.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.43 MYR 1.75

155.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$6.88 MYR 27.91

150.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$0.87 MYR 3.51

158.62%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$46.6K MYR 189.1K

-26.04%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$32.1K MYR 130.2K

29.68%

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

$171 €147

$50.1 MYR 203

241.42%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$9.66 MYR 39.21

96.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$28.45 MYR 115

20.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$37.22 MYR 151

33.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$7.05 MYR 28.62

176.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$4.54 MYR 18.43

122.47%

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

$699 €601

$187 MYR 760

273.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,916 MYR 19.9K

261.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$67.8 MYR 275

54.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$37.04 MYR 150

29.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$93.8 MYR 381

8.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$76.9 MYR 312

66.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$425 MYR 1,723

291.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$328 MYR 1,332

273.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$703 MYR 2,853

314.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$498 MYR 2,022

305.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$1,900 MYR 7,708

327.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$1,065 MYR 4,320

335.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

$1,443 MYR 5,855

12.19%

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 Nilai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $425 in Nilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 12% 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 $20.00 in Nilai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $259 per month, with Nilai 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 Nilai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Nilai differ by about 126% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,003 including rent). Nilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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 $425 in Nilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $187 in Nilai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in Nilai versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nilai but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nilai 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 Nilai 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 Nilai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.