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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $846 in Penang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,313 in Penang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,779 in Penang.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 168% more expensive than in Penang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Penang is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$3.73 MYR 15.18

370.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$20.03 MYR 81.5

221.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$4.83 MYR 19.66

141.20%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.94 MYR 11.95

10.88%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.71 MYR 2.90

250.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.39 MYR 1.60

328.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$4.22 MYR 17.17

-17.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.50 MYR 18.32

-20.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.79 MYR 7.26

-34.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.09 MYR 4.45

78.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.73 MYR 7.05

-9.83%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.23 MYR 9.05

79.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$13.37 MYR 54.4

-0.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.37 MYR 17.78

92.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$9.00 MYR 36.60

102.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.87 MYR 11.67

-19.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.70 MYR 6.90

1.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.61 MYR 10.64

-26.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.46 MYR 5.94

80.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.13 MYR 4.58

68.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.17 MYR 4.77

80.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.11 MYR 4.51

29.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.58 MYR 2.35

37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.54 MYR 18.45

54.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$19.54 MYR 79.5

-69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.91 MYR 11.85

-53.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.98 MYR 16.20

-45.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.48 MYR 1.94

395.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$12.28 MYR 49.95

276.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.70 MYR 6.92

146.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.42 MYR 1.70

161.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$7.61 MYR 30.97

126.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.84 MYR 3.40

167.86%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$41.6K MYR 169.2K

-17.14%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$34.7K MYR 141.4K

19.77%

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

$171 €147

$37.45 MYR 152

356.29%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$9.83 MYR 40.01

93.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$29.72 MYR 121

15.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$38.51 MYR 157

28.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$4.81 MYR 19.57

305.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$5.31 MYR 21.59

90.21%

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

$699 €603

$435 MYR 1,769

60.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$10.7K MYR 43.4K

66.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$60.3 MYR 245

73.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$34.72 MYR 141

38.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$85.3 MYR 347

19.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$70.8 MYR 288

81.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$399 MYR 1,623

316.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$228 MYR 928

438.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$591 MYR 2,406

392.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$417 MYR 1,694

385.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,235 MYR 9,094

263.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,068 MYR 4,346

333.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$923 MYR 3,754

75.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.24

-10.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Penang: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $399 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 75% 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 Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $255 per month, with Penang 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 Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Penang differ by about 168% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $846 including rent). Penang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 75% 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 $399 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $435 in Penang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $846 in Penang versus $2,268 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 168% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.