Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Penang Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Penang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $867 in Penang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,368 in Penang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,870 in Penang.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 163% more expensive than in Penang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Penang is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$3.08 MYR 12.58

411.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$21.63 MYR 88.4

193.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$4.15 MYR 16.96

151.81%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.97 MYR 12.13

-2.02%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.74 MYR 3.02

209.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.33 MYR 1.37

354.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$4.29 MYR 17.52

-17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$4.45 MYR 18.20

-11.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.88 MYR 7.69

-42.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.03 MYR 4.22

70.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.06 MYR 8.41

-17.48%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.12 MYR 8.67

53.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$17.00 MYR 69.5

-22.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$5.19 MYR 21.20

48.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$14.91 MYR 61.0

5.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.91 MYR 11.89

-21.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.45 MYR 5.92

14.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.66 MYR 10.89

-24.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.10 MYR 8.60

17.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.13 MYR 4.62

58.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.20 MYR 4.91

72.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.89 MYR 3.62

121.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.48 MYR 1.96

72.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$4.19 MYR 17.13

56.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$19.28 MYR 78.8

-71.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.65 MYR 10.84

-49.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$3.40 MYR 13.89

-11.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.45 MYR 1.83

404.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$17.76 MYR 72.6

160.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$0.74 MYR 3.04

471.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.51 MYR 2.07

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$6.90 MYR 28.21

172.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.50 MYR 2.03

304.00%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$34.1K MYR 139.3K

2.60%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$27.3K MYR 111.8K

44.97%

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

$148 €129

$39.05 MYR 160

278.82%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$10.17 MYR 41.58

101.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$31.51 MYR 129

25.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$32.40 MYR 132

48.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$5.53 MYR 22.61

232.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$4.81 MYR 19.64

89.19%

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

$615 €536

$240 MYR 979

156.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$6,182 MYR 25.3K

163.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$55.3 MYR 226

83.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$29.23 MYR 119

44.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$61.1 MYR 250

51.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$52.7 MYR 215

131.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$382 MYR 1,559

322.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$225 MYR 921

456.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$636 MYR 2,598

382.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$522 MYR 2,133

290.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$2,203 MYR 9,004

251.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$1,160 MYR 4,740

269.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$942 MYR 3,849

70.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.16

-8.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Penang: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $382 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 70% 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 $22.00 in Penang. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $286, 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 Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Penang differ by about 163% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $867 including rent). Penang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $382 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $240 in Penang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $867 in Penang versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Penang but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Penang 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 Penang 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 Penang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.