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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $892 in Petaling Jaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,329 in Petaling Jaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,767 in Petaling Jaya.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 149% more expensive than in Petaling Jaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Petaling Jaya is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$3.57 MYR 14.68

342.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$19.09 MYR 78.5

227.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$4.62 MYR 19.01

128.14%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$2.68 MYR 11.03

3.36%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$0.73 MYR 3.02

212.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.39 MYR 1.62

297.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$3.60 MYR 14.82

-1.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$4.93 MYR 20.28

-19.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.87 MYR 7.70

-42.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.01 MYR 4.17

75.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.79 MYR 7.36

-1.12%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$2.21 MYR 9.08

41.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$10.77 MYR 44.33

23.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$3.38 MYR 13.92

136.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$8.24 MYR 33.91

93.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.76 MYR 11.35

-17.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.69 MYR 6.96

-2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.47 MYR 10.15

-19.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.22 MYR 5.00

100.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.14 MYR 4.67

55.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.33 MYR 5.47

48.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.90 MYR 3.69

118.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.58 MYR 2.40

37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$4.17 MYR 17.15

56.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$19.95 MYR 82.1

-71.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$2.69 MYR 11.07

-50.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$3.81 MYR 15.69

-21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.76 MYR 3.14

207.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$11.86 MYR 48.79

286.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$1.02 MYR 4.21

317.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.36 MYR 1.46

133.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$9.21 MYR 37.88

104.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$0.49 MYR 2.03

322.45%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$31.0K MYR 127.5K

13.75%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$27.5K MYR 113.1K

40.45%

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

$151 €132

$40.35 MYR 166

274.55%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$9.18 MYR 37.76

127.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$23.28 MYR 95.8

69.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$36.31 MYR 149

33.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$7.21 MYR 29.67

158.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$4.88 MYR 20.06

85.25%

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

$610 €532

$215 MYR 885

183.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$8,089 MYR 33.3K

101.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$49.37 MYR 203

105.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$34.48 MYR 142

17.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$53.7 MYR 221

73.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$48.61 MYR 200

144.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$471 MYR 1,937

240.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$347 MYR 1,426

257.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$818 MYR 3,364

269.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$551 MYR 2,265

274.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$3,192 MYR 13.1K

150.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$209 MYR 859

2072.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$1,770 MYR 7,285

-8.04%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $471 in Petaling Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $19.00 in Petaling Jaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $236 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 149% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $892 including rent). Petaling Jaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Petaling Jaya. 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $471 in Petaling Jaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $215 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 $892 in Petaling Jaya versus $2,217 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 149% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.