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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $961 in Serdang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,466 in Serdang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,971 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 68% above, Serdang is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$4.59 MYR 18.61

247.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$28.00 MYR 114

126.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$4.58 MYR 18.59

126.64%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$2.97 MYR 12.04

-6.06%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$0.90 MYR 3.67

160.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$0.53 MYR 2.14

196.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$4.23 MYR 17.16

-18.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$5.74 MYR 23.28

-31.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.01 MYR 8.17

-46.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.00 MYR 4.06

77.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.72 MYR 6.97

-0.58%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$2.28 MYR 9.24

38.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$14.54 MYR 59.0

-5.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$4.58 MYR 18.58

74.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$9.72 MYR 39.44

59.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$2.95 MYR 11.96

-22.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.56 MYR 6.31

5.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$2.71 MYR 11.01

-28.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$1.52 MYR 6.16

65.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.23 MYR 5.00

45.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.33 MYR 5.40

51.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.22 MYR 4.95

61.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.63 MYR 2.54

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$4.23 MYR 17.15

60.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$19.36 MYR 78.6

-70.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$3.29 MYR 13.36

-57.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$4.43 MYR 17.98

-31.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.73 MYR 2.97

210.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$11.97 MYR 48.58

279.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.21 MYR 4.91

254.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.14 MYR 4.61

-25.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$4.76 MYR 19.31

284.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.47 MYR 1.91

323.40%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$39.3K MYR 159.5K

-10.86%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$32.2K MYR 130.5K

22.97%

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

$146 €127

$64.3 MYR 261

127.48%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$11.29 MYR 45.83

81.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$26.07 MYR 106

49.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$36.72 MYR 149

33.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$5.95 MYR 24.13

216.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$5.21 MYR 21.14

82.73%

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

$608 €527

$266 MYR 1,079

128.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$9,356 MYR 38.0K

76.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$59.7 MYR 242

74.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$37.67 MYR 153

11.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$84.4 MYR 342

9.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$79.9 MYR 324

50.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$380 MYR 1,542

326.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$266 MYR 1,078

377.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$654 MYR 2,655

365.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$474 MYR 1,923

323.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$1,999 MYR 8,111

283.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$986 MYR 4,002

338.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

$1,002 MYR 4,068

58.10%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Serdang: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $380 in Serdang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 58% 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 $267 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 ($2,263 vs $961 including rent). Serdang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 58% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $380 in Serdang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $266 in Serdang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $961 in Serdang versus $2,263 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.