Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Petaling Jaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Petaling Jaya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $910 in Petaling Jaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,354 in Petaling Jaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,798 in Petaling Jaya.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 145% more expensive than Petaling Jaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Petaling Jaya is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$3.44 MYR 13.59

370.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$18.50 MYR 73.1

249.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$4.61 MYR 18.21

125.16%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.78 MYR 10.97

-0.36%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.67 MYR 2.65

235.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.36 MYR 1.43

336.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$3.57 MYR 14.08

-2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$5.17 MYR 20.44

-22.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.91 MYR 7.56

-43.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.97 MYR 3.82

79.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.79 MYR 7.07

-2.79%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.24 MYR 8.85

41.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$10.69 MYR 42.24

25.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$3.56 MYR 14.04

124.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$8.22 MYR 32.46

95.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.69 MYR 10.61

-15.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.73 MYR 6.84

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.48 MYR 9.81

-21.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.27 MYR 5.00

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.19 MYR 4.69

53.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.34 MYR 5.29

52.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.90 MYR 3.54

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.63 MYR 2.48

34.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$4.29 MYR 16.95

59.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$20.15 MYR 79.6

-71.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.77 MYR 10.94

-50.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.92 MYR 15.50

-26.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.75 MYR 2.97

204.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$11.70 MYR 46.22

300.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.98 MYR 3.88

316.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.35 MYR 1.38

134.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$9.03 MYR 35.68

102.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$0.50 MYR 1.98

302.00%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$31.8K MYR 125.7K

10.80%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$28.1K MYR 110.8K

37.19%

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

$145 €124

$40.25 MYR 159

261.24%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$9.09 MYR 35.92

130.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$22.94 MYR 90.6

74.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$37.39 MYR 148

30.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$7.48 MYR 29.55

149.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$4.99 MYR 19.72

81.56%

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

$607 €519

$214 MYR 846

183.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$8,042 MYR 31.8K

103.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$48.73 MYR 192

114.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$33.82 MYR 134

21.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$55.0 MYR 217

70.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$49.39 MYR 195

140.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$471 MYR 1,860

240.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$347 MYR 1,371

256.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$820 MYR 3,240

271.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$555 MYR 2,190

270.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$3,321 MYR 13.1K

132.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$211 MYR 833

1922.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,757 MYR 6,938

-9.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.49

-15.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $471 in Petaling Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $19.00 in Petaling Jaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $239 per month, with Petaling Jaya 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 Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Petaling Jaya differ by about 145% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $910 including rent). Petaling Jaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Petaling Jaya earns 11% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $471 in Petaling Jaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $214 in Petaling Jaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $910 in Petaling Jaya versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Petaling Jaya but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Petaling Jaya 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 Petaling Jaya 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 Petaling Jaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 145% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.