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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $954 in Serdang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,476 in Serdang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,999 in Serdang.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 135% more expensive than Serdang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Serdang is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$4.75 MYR 18.76

231.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$28.11 MYR 111

124.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$4.75 MYR 18.77

117.26%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.13 MYR 12.38

-10.22%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.89 MYR 3.52

161.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.49 MYR 1.95

208.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$4.20 MYR 16.61

-19.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$5.81 MYR 22.93

-32.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.99 MYR 7.87

-45.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.01 MYR 3.97

73.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.66 MYR 6.57

5.42%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.27 MYR 8.98

36.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$14.39 MYR 56.9

-7.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$4.54 MYR 17.92

72.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$9.90 MYR 39.10

62.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.93 MYR 11.59

-18.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.56 MYR 6.15

10.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.58 MYR 10.19

-23.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.50 MYR 5.93

70.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.26 MYR 4.98

42.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.34 MYR 5.29

47.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.17 MYR 4.62

67.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.63 MYR 2.47

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.33 MYR 17.11

57.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$18.88 MYR 74.6

-69.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$3.38 MYR 13.35

-59.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$4.24 MYR 16.74

-31.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.73 MYR 2.86

213.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$11.63 MYR 45.95

303.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$1.16 MYR 4.58

255.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.13 MYR 4.46

-28.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$4.73 MYR 18.70

300.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$0.47 MYR 1.87

344.68%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$39.6K MYR 156.5K

-11.37%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$32.5K MYR 128.3K

22.28%

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

$150 €128

$63.6 MYR 251

135.16%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$11.46 MYR 45.27

78.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$25.65 MYR 101

52.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$36.54 MYR 144

35.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$5.71 MYR 22.57

223.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$5.10 MYR 20.16

80.39%

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

$624 €533

$268 MYR 1,060

132.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$9,273 MYR 36.6K

71.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$60.6 MYR 239

68.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$37.32 MYR 147

9.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$84.6 MYR 334

13.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$81.4 MYR 322

48.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$391 MYR 1,546

322.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$265 MYR 1,046

365.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$645 MYR 2,549

371.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$464 MYR 1,835

343.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,812 MYR 7,157

334.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,012 MYR 3,999

325.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$1,031 MYR 4,073

51.91%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Serdang: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $391 in Serdang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 52% 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 in Lisbon vs $28 in Serdang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 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 135% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $954 including rent). Serdang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 52% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $391 in Serdang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $268 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 $954 in Serdang versus $2,243 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 135% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.