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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $690 in Seri Iskandar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $894 in Seri Iskandar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,097 in Seri Iskandar.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 225% more expensive than Seri Iskandar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Seri Iskandar is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$2.74 MYR 10.82

474.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$28.57 MYR 113

121.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$4.40 MYR 17.37

134.55%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$0.99 MYR 3.89

183.84%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.54 MYR 2.13

331.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.25 MYR 0.99

504.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.86 MYR 11.31

17.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.62 MYR 14.31

8.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.57 MYR 6.18

-31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$0.90 MYR 3.56

94.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.46 MYR 1.82

280.43%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$1.92 MYR 7.59

61.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$5.35 MYR 21.13

148.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$1.90 MYR 7.52

313.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$4.31 MYR 17.03

272.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.07 MYR 8.19

15.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.57 MYR 6.19

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.91 MYR 7.54

3.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$0.91 MYR 3.59

180.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.61 MYR 2.40

193.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.91 MYR 3.59

116.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.91 MYR 3.60

115.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.58 MYR 2.29

44.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.18 MYR 16.51

63.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$7.64 MYR 30.19

-23.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.41 MYR 9.52

-42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$3.55 MYR 14.03

-17.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.08 MYR 4.28

112.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$11.81 MYR 46.65

296.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$0.90 MYR 3.56

357.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.10 MYR 4.36

-26.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$4.78 MYR 18.88

296.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$0.51 MYR 2.00

309.80%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$19.2K MYR 75.9K

82.77%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$18.5K MYR 73.2K

114.25%

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

$150 €128

$64.3 MYR 254

132.52%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$9.41 MYR 37.17

117.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$15.94 MYR 63.0

145.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$12.99 MYR 51.3

282.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$5.85 MYR 23.12

215.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$3.58 MYR 14.16

156.98%

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

$624 €533

$163 MYR 645

282.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$9,610 MYR 38.0K

65.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$16.53 MYR 65.3

518.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$8.27 MYR 32.67

394.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$59.6 MYR 235

60.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$35.13 MYR 139

244.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$383 MYR 1,512

331.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$264 MYR 1,044

366.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$653 MYR 2,579

366.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$151 MYR 598

1260.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,870 MYR 7,387

321.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$822 MYR 3,247

423.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$375 MYR 1,482

317.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

90.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Seri Iskandar: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $383 in Seri Iskandar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 317% 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 $29 in Seri Iskandar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $153 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 225% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $690 including rent). Seri Iskandar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 317% 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 $383 in Seri Iskandar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $163 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 $690 in Seri Iskandar versus $2,243 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 225% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.