Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Semenyih Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Semenyih

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $877 in Semenyih.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $1,340 in Semenyih.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $1,803 in Semenyih.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 152% more expensive than in Semenyih, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Semenyih is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.81

$3.45 MYR 14.13

355.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.3

$18.48 MYR 75.6

240.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.26

$4.83 MYR 19.77

118.01%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.54

$2.91 MYR 11.90

-1.03%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$0.57 MYR 2.33

294.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$0.48 MYR 1.97

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.98

$4.59 MYR 18.77

-26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.43

$6.53 MYR 26.69

-40.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.89 MYR 7.71

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.01 MYR 4.11

71.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.30 MYR 5.30

35.38%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.78

$1.84 MYR 7.52

71.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.68

$15.70 MYR 64.2

-15.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.92

$4.94 MYR 20.22

59.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.92

$11.26 MYR 46.06

40.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$3.75 MYR 15.34

-36.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.50

$1.48 MYR 6.04

14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.49 MYR 10.17

-18.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$2.01 MYR 8.23

25.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.48 MYR 6.04

25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.74 MYR 7.14

18.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.27 MYR 5.20

57.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$0.56 MYR 2.31

39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.84

$4.13 MYR 16.90

61.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.08

$14.01 MYR 57.3

-58.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$2.88 MYR 11.78

-52.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$2.93 MYR 11.98

3.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

$0.72 MYR 2.96

223.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.96

$11.59 MYR 47.40

292.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$1.45 MYR 5.92

181.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.68 MYR 2.79

17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.39

$5.99 MYR 24.50

211.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$0.50 MYR 2.03

300.00%

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

$35.4K €31.1K

$35.2K MYR 144.1K

0.43%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$38.1K MYR 155.8K

2.56%

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

$150 €132

$45.21 MYR 185

232.05%

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

$20.55 €18.07

$9.26 MYR 37.85

121.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.68

$31.04 MYR 127

27.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.25

$36.81 MYR 151

30.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.44

$5.91 MYR 24.16

216.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.18

$4.81 MYR 19.67

93.35%

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

$628 €552

$186 MYR 760

237.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.5K

$6,981 MYR 28.5K

135.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.3

$66.0 MYR 270

53.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.52

$18.95 MYR 77.5

119.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.3

$71.9 MYR 294

28.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$39.44 MYR 161

211.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,431

$394 MYR 1,611

313.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,084

$272 MYR 1,112

353.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,748

$632 MYR 2,585

394.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,809

$478 MYR 1,955

330.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,824

$2,133 MYR 8,725

263.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,856

$1,293 MYR 5,286

239.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

$662 MYR 2,707

144.90%

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 21, 2026

Last update for Semenyih: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $394 in Semenyih. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 145% 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 $18.00 in Semenyih for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $263 per month, with Semenyih 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 Semenyih: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Semenyih differ by about 152% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $877 including rent). Semenyih is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 145% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $394 in Semenyih. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Lisbon versus $186 in Semenyih. 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 $877 in Semenyih versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Semenyih but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Semenyih 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 Semenyih 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 Semenyih gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.