Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Serdang Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Serdang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $935 in Serdang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $1,468 in Serdang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $2,001 in Serdang.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 136% more expensive than in Serdang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Serdang is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.81

$4.77 MYR 19.49

229.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.3

$28.01 MYR 115

124.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.26

$4.58 MYR 18.71

129.91%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.54

$3.11 MYR 12.70

-7.40%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$0.90 MYR 3.69

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$0.53 MYR 2.18

194.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.98

$4.21 MYR 17.23

-19.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.43

$5.79 MYR 23.68

-32.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.98 MYR 8.10

-45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.05 MYR 4.28

64.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.68 MYR 6.85

4.76%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.78

$2.19 MYR 8.94

44.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.68

$14.82 MYR 60.6

-10.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.92

$4.76 MYR 19.48

65.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.92

$9.63 MYR 39.39

64.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$2.93 MYR 12.00

-18.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.50

$1.62 MYR 6.63

4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.63 MYR 10.77

-22.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$1.51 MYR 6.16

66.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.24 MYR 5.06

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.39 MYR 5.67

48.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.18 MYR 4.81

69.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$0.62 MYR 2.54

25.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.84

$4.26 MYR 17.42

56.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.08

$18.10 MYR 74.0

-68.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$3.25 MYR 13.30

-57.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$4.20 MYR 17.19

-28.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

$0.69 MYR 2.82

237.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.96

$11.73 MYR 47.99

287.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$1.20 MYR 4.89

240.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$1.11 MYR 4.52

-27.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.39

$4.68 MYR 19.16

298.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$0.47 MYR 1.91

325.53%

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

$35.4K €31.1K

$40.2K MYR 164.3K

-11.95%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$32.0K MYR 130.9K

22.04%

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

$150 €132

$65.2 MYR 266

130.42%

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

$20.55 €18.07

$11.31 MYR 46.26

81.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.68

$25.32 MYR 104

55.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.25

$37.04 MYR 151

29.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.44

$5.79 MYR 23.70

222.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.18

$5.08 MYR 20.78

83.07%

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

$628 €552

$265 MYR 1,086

136.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.5K

$9,412 MYR 38.5K

74.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.3

$61.8 MYR 253

64.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.52

$37.74 MYR 154

10.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.3

$84.6 MYR 346

9.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$79.2 MYR 324

54.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,431

$394 MYR 1,611

313.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,084

$270 MYR 1,105

356.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,748

$644 MYR 2,634

385.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,809

$473 MYR 1,934

335.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,824

$1,889 MYR 7,724

310.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,856

$1,253 MYR 5,124

250.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

$965 MYR 3,944

68.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.47

-14.77%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Last update for Serdang: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Lisbon pays 68% 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 $28.00 in Serdang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $265 per month, with Serdang 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 Serdang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Serdang differ by about 136% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $935 including rent). Serdang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 68% 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 Serdang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Lisbon versus $265 in Serdang. 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 $935 in Serdang versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Serdang but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Serdang 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 Serdang 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 Serdang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.