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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,030 in Serdang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,478 in Serdang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,925 in Serdang.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 120% more expensive than in Serdang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Serdang is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$2.50 MYR 10.13

602.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$17.67 MYR 71.7

264.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$3.78 MYR 15.33

208.20%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$2.02 MYR 8.21

61.39%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$0.86 MYR 3.49

189.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.50 MYR 2.04

234.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$4.39 MYR 17.82

-20.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$6.24 MYR 25.30

-42.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.16 MYR 8.77

-45.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.13 MYR 4.58

72.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$2.07 MYR 8.41

-24.64%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$2.48 MYR 10.08

61.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$15.98 MYR 64.9

-16.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$4.82 MYR 19.55

74.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$9.94 MYR 40.32

83.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.39 MYR 13.76

-31.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.88 MYR 7.62

-7.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.33 MYR 9.45

-17.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.59 MYR 6.46

66.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.36 MYR 5.52

39.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.43 MYR 5.81

47.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.18 MYR 4.78

22.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.76 MYR 3.08

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$4.59 MYR 18.63

52.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$19.22 MYR 78.0

-69.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$3.53 MYR 14.32

-61.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$4.91 MYR 19.91

-56.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.71 MYR 2.88

235.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$12.50 MYR 50.7

269.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$1.22 MYR 4.96

243.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.49 MYR 2.00

124.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$4.85 MYR 19.69

255.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$0.83 MYR 3.35

171.08%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$42.3K MYR 171.5K

-18.44%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$34.5K MYR 139.8K

20.76%

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

$171 €147

$64.3 MYR 261

165.75%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$9.06 MYR 36.77

109.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$26.58 MYR 108

28.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$40.50 MYR 164

22.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$6.49 MYR 26.34

200.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$5.58 MYR 22.65

81.00%

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

$699 €601

$298 MYR 1,207

135.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,928 MYR 20.0K

260.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$71.6 MYR 291

46.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$43.01 MYR 175

11.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$90.1 MYR 366

13.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$101 MYR 408

27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$428 MYR 1,735

288.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$331 MYR 1,344

270.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$696 MYR 2,824

318.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$496 MYR 2,010

308.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$2,040 MYR 8,278

298.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$1,113 MYR 4,515

316.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

$1,011 MYR 4,100

60.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.2

-10.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Serdang: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Lisbon pays 60% 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 $18.00 in Serdang. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $285, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 120% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,030 including rent). Serdang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% 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 Serdang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $298 in Serdang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,030 in Serdang versus $2,268 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 120% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.