Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Semarang Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Semarang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $652 in Semarang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,022 in Semarang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,391 in Semarang.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 239% more expensive than Semarang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Semarang is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

783.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$12.32 Rp 220.9K

425.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$3.69 Rp 66.1K

184.82%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

91.33%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.52 Rp 9,352

330.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.27 Rp 4,833

455.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.99 Rp 35.6K

75.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.01 Rp 53.9K

28.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.02 Rp 18.4K

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.03 Rp 18.5K

69.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

120.00%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.52 Rp 27.3K

111.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$6.11 Rp 109.5K

120.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$2.93 Rp 52.6K

169.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$8.73 Rp 156.5K

81.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.59 Rp 46.4K

-10.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

6.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.88 Rp 33.7K

6.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.58 Rp 28.3K

55.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

41.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.88 Rp 33.8K

6.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.91 Rp 16.3K

112.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.41 Rp 7,300

92.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

192.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$14.10 Rp 252.7K

-59.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.58 Rp 46.3K

-46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.88 Rp 51.5K

3.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.26 Rp 4,661

811.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$13.11 Rp 234.9K

247.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

361.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.31 Rp 5,634

164.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$2.88 Rp 51.6K

535.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.86 Rp 15.4K

139.53%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$24.5K Rp 439.9M

39.69%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$31.2K Rp 558.6M

26.10%

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

$148 €127

$94.0 Rp 1.7M

57.34%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

648.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$23.89 Rp 428.2K

65.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$23.84 Rp 427.4K

100.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$5.06 Rp 90.6K

273.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$3.05 Rp 54.6K

200.98%

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

$614 €529

$44.50 Rp 797.7K

1279.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$2,399 Rp 43.0M

569.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$37.42 Rp 670.8K

179.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$32.67 Rp 585.6K

28.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$66.9 Rp 1.2M

40.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$43.76 Rp 784.5K

173.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$255 Rp 4.6M

537.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$154 Rp 2.8M

715.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$536 Rp 9.6M

465.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$413 Rp 7.4M

389.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$1,187 Rp 21.3M

557.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$564 Rp 10.1M

657.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$184 Rp 3.3M

773.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.83

-51.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Semarang: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $255 in Semarang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 773% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $12.00 in Semarang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $190 per month, with Semarang 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 Semarang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Semarang differ by about 239% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $652 including rent). Semarang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 773% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $255 in Semarang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $44.50 in Semarang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $652 in Semarang versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Semarang but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Semarang 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 Semarang 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 Semarang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.