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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $935 in Sarawak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,410 in Sarawak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,884 in Sarawak.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sarawak is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$3.72 MYR 15.22

372.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$19.42 MYR 79.5

223.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$4.94 MYR 20.23

134.41%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.96 MYR 12.11

4.73%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.81 MYR 3.32

207.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.38 MYR 1.56

357.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.67 MYR 15.02

-5.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.37 MYR 17.87

-21.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.02 MYR 8.27

-43.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.23 MYR 5.04

55.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.63 MYR 6.69

-7.98%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.10 MYR 8.60

89.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$15.12 MYR 61.9

-12.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$4.02 MYR 16.44

99.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$10.34 MYR 42.32

74.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.09 MYR 12.64

-23.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.62 MYR 6.64

8.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.11 MYR 8.65

-12.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.74 MYR 7.14

46.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.29 MYR 5.29

42.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.32 MYR 5.42

59.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.18 MYR 4.84

26.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.50 MYR 2.06

64.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$4.78 MYR 19.55

48.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$19.91 MYR 81.5

-70.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.23 MYR 13.24

-59.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.83 MYR 15.69

-44.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.64 MYR 2.60

268.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$13.34 MYR 54.6

249.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.26 MYR 5.15

223.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.52 MYR 2.13

119.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$6.70 MYR 27.44

155.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.72 MYR 2.94

220.83%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$48.2K MYR 197.2K

-29.16%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$31.9K MYR 130.5K

29.75%

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

$169 €147

$46.34 MYR 190

263.72%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$8.78 MYR 35.92

120.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$28.27 MYR 116

18.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$35.79 MYR 146

36.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$7.01 MYR 28.68

177.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$5.43 MYR 22.24

76.24%

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

$696 €606

$162 MYR 665

328.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$4,934 MYR 20.2K

251.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$56.2 MYR 230

87.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$35.00 MYR 143

36.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$72.6 MYR 297

38.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$62.7 MYR 256

98.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$478 MYR 1,955

247.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$348 MYR 1,423

258.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$779 MYR 3,189

280.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$464 MYR 1,901

341.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$1,812 MYR 7,415

332.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$1,158 MYR 4,738

285.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$349 MYR 1,428

367.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.2

-10.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $478 in Sarawak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 368% 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 $277 vs $267 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 145% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $935 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 368% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $478 in Sarawak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $162 in Sarawak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $935 in Sarawak versus $2,296 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 145% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.