Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Selangor Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Selangor

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,027 in Selangor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,483 in Selangor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,938 in Selangor.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 123% more expensive than in Selangor, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Selangor is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$4.22 MYR 17.23

316.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$19.63 MYR 80.2

220.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$4.00 MYR 16.34

189.50%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.19 MYR 8.96

41.55%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.87 MYR 3.55

186.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.46 MYR 1.89

278.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$4.50 MYR 18.39

-22.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$5.10 MYR 20.80

-32.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.91 MYR 7.81

-39.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.10 MYR 4.50

73.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.51 MYR 6.15

-0.66%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.91 MYR 7.78

108.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$15.50 MYR 63.3

-14.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$4.82 MYR 19.70

66.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$9.82 MYR 40.10

83.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.35 MYR 13.67

-29.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.84 MYR 7.51

-4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.44 MYR 9.96

-24.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.58 MYR 6.47

61.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.36 MYR 5.57

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.09 MYR 4.44

92.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.14 MYR 4.65

30.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.54 MYR 2.20

51.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.34 MYR 17.72

63.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$19.04 MYR 77.7

-68.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.38 MYR 13.80

-61.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$4.99 MYR 20.37

-57.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.25 MYR 5.10

88.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$12.26 MYR 50.1

280.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.25 MYR 5.10

226.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.26 MYR 5.14

-9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$4.51 MYR 18.39

278.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.66 MYR 2.70

250.00%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$42.4K MYR 173.1K

-19.53%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$35.0K MYR 142.9K

18.20%

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

$169 €147

$65.2 MYR 266

158.59%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$9.10 MYR 37.15

112.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$25.81 MYR 105

29.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$40.42 MYR 165

20.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$7.22 MYR 29.49

169.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$5.30 MYR 21.64

80.57%

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

$696 €607

$124 MYR 505

462.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,373 MYR 30.1K

135.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$73.2 MYR 299

43.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$42.30 MYR 173

12.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$77.8 MYR 317

29.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$81.6 MYR 333

52.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$504 MYR 2,059

229.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$346 MYR 1,414

259.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$881 MYR 3,597

236.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$485 MYR 1,979

322.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,559 MYR 6,364

402.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$712 MYR 2,906

527.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,045 MYR 4,266

56.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.96

-4.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Selangor: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $504 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 56% 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 $20.00 in Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $272 per month, with Selangor 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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Selangor differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,027 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% 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 $504 in Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $124 in Selangor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,027 in Selangor versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Selangor but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Selangor 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 Selangor 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 Selangor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.