Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Seri Iskandar Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Seri Iskandar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $761 in Seri Iskandar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $948 in Seri Iskandar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,135 in Seri Iskandar.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 198% more expensive than in Seri Iskandar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Seri Iskandar is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$2.77 MYR 11.27

533.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$29.38 MYR 120

119.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$4.84 MYR 19.68

140.70%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$0.94 MYR 3.83

246.81%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.54 MYR 2.19

361.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.28 MYR 1.15

496.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.89 MYR 11.74

20.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.61 MYR 14.69

-0.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.63 MYR 6.63

-27.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.02 MYR 4.13

91.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.48 MYR 1.95

225.00%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.05 MYR 8.35

95.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$5.35 MYR 21.75

148.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$2.03 MYR 8.27

314.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$4.57 MYR 18.60

298.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.20 MYR 8.96

5.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.69 MYR 6.87

2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.93 MYR 7.86

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.96 MYR 3.89

175.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.60 MYR 2.42

216.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.03 MYR 4.17

104.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.97 MYR 3.95

48.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.61 MYR 2.48

31.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.35 MYR 17.71

61.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.31 MYR 29.75

-19.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.50 MYR 10.16

-45.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.78 MYR 15.36

-43.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.10 MYR 4.46

116.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$12.29 MYR 50.0

276.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.96 MYR 3.89

336.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.48 MYR 1.97

129.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$4.87 MYR 19.82

254.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.60 MYR 2.45

275.00%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$19.8K MYR 80.6K

73.98%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$19.8K MYR 80.7K

109.79%

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

$171 €147

$65.4 MYR 266

161.16%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$9.45 MYR 38.45

101.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$16.98 MYR 69.1

101.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$13.52 MYR 55.0

267.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$6.69 MYR 27.21

191.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$3.82 MYR 15.56

164.40%

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

$699 €603

$172 MYR 698

307.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,926 MYR 20.0K

260.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$17.24 MYR 70.1

506.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$8.55 MYR 34.76

461.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$60.8 MYR 247

67.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$37.58 MYR 153

241.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$430 MYR 1,748

286.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$333 MYR 1,355

268.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$711 MYR 2,890

310.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$162 MYR 659

1148.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,077 MYR 8,449

291.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,113 MYR 4,526

316.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$376 MYR 1,529

330.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

89.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Seri Iskandar: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $430 in Seri Iskandar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 331% 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 $29.00 in Seri Iskandar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $160 per month, with Seri Iskandar 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 Seri Iskandar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Seri Iskandar differ by about 198% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $761 including rent). Seri Iskandar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 331% 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 $430 in Seri Iskandar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $172 in Seri Iskandar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $761 in Seri Iskandar versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seri Iskandar but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Seri Iskandar 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 Seri Iskandar 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 Seri Iskandar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 198% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.