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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $900 in Sarawak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,286 in Sarawak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,673 in Sarawak.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 151% more expensive than Sarawak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sarawak is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$3.64 MYR 14.75

337.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$18.77 MYR 76.1

237.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$5.28 MYR 21.39

96.59%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.76 MYR 11.20

1.09%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.74 MYR 3.00

216.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.39 MYR 1.59

302.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$7.91 MYR 32.06

-56.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$8.29 MYR 33.61

-52.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.89 MYR 7.67

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.00 MYR 4.06

77.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.29 MYR 5.21

32.56%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.04 MYR 8.26

54.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$14.95 MYR 60.6

-8.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$2.55 MYR 10.36

214.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$9.68 MYR 39.23

60.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.91 MYR 11.78

-21.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.48 MYR 5.99

10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.58 MYR 10.45

-24.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.45 MYR 5.89

73.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.22 MYR 4.96

46.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.33 MYR 5.38

51.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.00 MYR 4.07

97.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.67 MYR 2.72

25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.29 MYR 17.41

58.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$17.42 MYR 70.7

-67.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.82 MYR 11.45

-50.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.99 MYR 12.12

1.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.69 MYR 2.82

228.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$11.98 MYR 48.57

279.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.15 MYR 4.66

273.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.98 MYR 3.97

-13.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$5.92 MYR 23.99

208.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.49 MYR 2.01

306.12%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$34.9K MYR 141.7K

0.29%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$31.9K MYR 129.4K

23.94%

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

$146 €126

$43.20 MYR 175

238.38%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$8.94 MYR 36.25

128.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$29.23 MYR 119

33.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$37.24 MYR 151

31.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$6.00 MYR 24.31

213.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$5.06 MYR 20.53

88.14%

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

$608 €524

$189 MYR 768

221.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$6,935 MYR 28.1K

138.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$36.81 MYR 149

182.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$39.24 MYR 159

7.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$76.9 MYR 312

19.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$56.1 MYR 227

114.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$324 MYR 1,313

400.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$269 MYR 1,092

370.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$505 MYR 2,046

504.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$360 MYR 1,459

458.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,935 MYR 7,847

295.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$973 MYR 3,944

345.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$420 MYR 1,703

277.42%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $324 in Sarawak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 277% 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 $269 vs $243 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 151% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $900 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 277% more on average, 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $324 in Sarawak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $189 in Sarawak. 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 $900 in Sarawak versus $2,263 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 151% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.