Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sarawak Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sarawak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $910 in Sarawak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,301 in Sarawak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,692 in Sarawak.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 150% more expensive than in Sarawak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sarawak is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$3.56 MYR 14.53

342.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$18.58 MYR 75.9

241.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$5.20 MYR 21.24

100.96%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.79 MYR 11.40

4.30%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.77 MYR 3.15

197.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.39 MYR 1.60

284.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$7.96 MYR 32.50

-55.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$8.35 MYR 34.08

-52.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.86 MYR 7.59

-41.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.00 MYR 4.10

76.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.25 MYR 5.10

36.00%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.15 MYR 8.76

51.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$14.97 MYR 61.1

-11.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$2.56 MYR 10.44

200.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$9.16 MYR 37.39

72.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.90 MYR 11.85

-21.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.45 MYR 5.93

14.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.62 MYR 10.71

-22.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.44 MYR 5.89

71.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.18 MYR 4.84

51.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.27 MYR 5.18

62.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.04 MYR 4.23

89.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.63 MYR 2.56

31.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$4.18 MYR 17.07

56.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$21.03 MYR 85.9

-73.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.85 MYR 11.64

-53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.89 MYR 11.80

4.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.73 MYR 2.96

210.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$11.95 MYR 48.78

287.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.16 MYR 4.76

264.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.03 MYR 4.22

-17.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$5.92 MYR 24.18

218.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.46 MYR 1.87

339.13%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$35.4K MYR 144.6K

-1.26%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$31.0K MYR 126.6K

27.82%

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

$148 €128

$43.71 MYR 178

238.44%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$8.89 MYR 36.29

130.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$28.59 MYR 117

38.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$36.99 MYR 151

30.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$6.02 MYR 24.56

205.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$4.88 MYR 19.94

86.48%

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

$615 €532

$186 MYR 760

230.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,913 MYR 28.2K

135.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$36.01 MYR 147

182.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$38.55 MYR 157

9.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$77.2 MYR 315

19.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$57.1 MYR 233

113.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$328 MYR 1,339

391.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$272 MYR 1,111

360.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$502 MYR 2,050

511.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$350 MYR 1,427

482.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$2,078 MYR 8,486

272.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,132 MYR 4,624

278.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$417 MYR 1,702

284.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.07

-6.39%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $328 in Sarawak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 284% 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 $19.00 in Sarawak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $248 per month, with Sarawak 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 Sarawak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sarawak differ by about 150% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $910 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 284% 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 $328 in Sarawak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $186 in Sarawak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $910 in Sarawak versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sarawak but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sarawak 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 Sarawak 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 Sarawak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.