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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $976 in Semenyih.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,433 in Semenyih.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,891 in Semenyih.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 132% more expensive than in Semenyih, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Semenyih is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$3.80 MYR 15.43

361.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$21.27 MYR 86.3

203.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$5.10 MYR 20.69

128.43%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$2.97 MYR 12.04

9.76%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$0.65 MYR 2.62

283.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.52 MYR 2.11

221.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$4.52 MYR 18.36

-23.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$6.34 MYR 25.73

-43.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.68 MYR 6.82

-29.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.03 MYR 4.16

89.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.46 MYR 5.93

6.85%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$1.76 MYR 7.15

127.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$18.12 MYR 73.5

-26.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$4.53 MYR 18.38

85.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$10.73 MYR 43.52

69.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.43 MYR 13.91

-32.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.76 MYR 7.15

-1.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$3.93 MYR 15.95

-50.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.63 MYR 6.62

61.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.49 MYR 6.03

27.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.75 MYR 7.09

20.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.38 MYR 5.59

4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.55 MYR 2.25

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$4.23 MYR 17.17

65.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$14.03 MYR 56.9

-57.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.90 MYR 11.75

-53.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.15 MYR 12.79

-31.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.75 MYR 3.05

217.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$12.35 MYR 50.1

274.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$1.45 MYR 5.87

188.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.77 MYR 3.11

42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$10.17 MYR 41.27

69.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$0.53 MYR 2.14

324.53%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$42.3K MYR 171.4K

-18.43%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$36.4K MYR 147.8K

14.21%

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

$171 €147

$53.9 MYR 218

217.27%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$11.21 MYR 45.48

69.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$29.02 MYR 118

18.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$40.96 MYR 166

21.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$6.53 MYR 26.49

198.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$4.81 MYR 19.52

109.98%

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

$699 €601

$164 MYR 664

327.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,531 MYR 18.4K

292.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$66.9 MYR 271

56.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$16.58 MYR 67.3

189.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$82.9 MYR 336

22.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$41.98 MYR 170

205.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$428 MYR 1,738

287.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$329 MYR 1,335

273.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$706 MYR 2,866

312.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$503 MYR 2,042

301.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$2,049 MYR 8,312

296.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$1,144 MYR 4,641

305.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

$665 MYR 2,698

143.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.06

-6.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Semenyih: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $428 in Semenyih. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 143% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $21.00 in Semenyih for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $270 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 132% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $976 including rent). Semenyih is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 143% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $428 in Semenyih. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $164 in Semenyih. 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 $976 in Semenyih versus $2,268 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 132% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.