Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Setia Alam Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Setia Alam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $973 in Setia Alam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,443 in Setia Alam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,913 in Setia Alam.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 136% more expensive than in Setia Alam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Setia Alam is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$5.06 MYR 20.64

247.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$24.14 MYR 98.5

160.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$5.01 MYR 20.46

131.14%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.08 MYR 12.59

0.65%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.81 MYR 3.32

207.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.44 MYR 1.79

295.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$4.46 MYR 18.21

-21.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$6.07 MYR 24.77

-43.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.87 MYR 7.61

-38.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.70 MYR 2.87

172.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.06 MYR 4.32

41.51%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.81 MYR 7.39

119.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$4.94 MYR 20.16

169.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$4.23 MYR 17.28

89.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$9.66 MYR 39.42

86.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.34 MYR 5.46

75.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.94 MYR 7.90

-9.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.37 MYR 5.60

35.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.50 MYR 6.11

70.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.30 MYR 5.32

41.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.32 MYR 5.40

59.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.64 MYR 2.59

132.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.56 MYR 2.29

46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.45 MYR 18.18

59.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$18.82 MYR 76.8

-68.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.45 MYR 14.08

-62.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$4.94 MYR 20.17

-56.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.77 MYR 3.15

206.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$12.46 MYR 50.9

274.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.25 MYR 5.11

226.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.50 MYR 2.03

128.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$5.04 MYR 20.57

239.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.64 MYR 2.63

260.94%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$42.5K MYR 173.4K

-19.67%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$35.3K MYR 144.2K

17.16%

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

$169 €147

$61.6 MYR 251

173.84%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$9.48 MYR 38.70

103.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$26.31 MYR 107

27.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$58.3 MYR 238

-16.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$6.42 MYR 26.19

202.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$5.34 MYR 21.80

79.21%

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

$696 €607

$177 MYR 722

293.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$11.0K MYR 44.9K

57.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$70.7 MYR 289

48.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$25.51 MYR 104

87.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$89.2 MYR 364

12.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$54.4 MYR 222

128.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$515 MYR 2,104

222.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$322 MYR 1,314

287.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$860 MYR 3,513

244.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$545 MYR 2,223

276.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$2,025 MYR 8,266

286.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,122 MYR 4,581

297.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,132 MYR 4,621

44.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.12

-8.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Setia Alam: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $515 in Setia Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 44% 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 $24.00 in Setia Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $214 per month, with Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Setia Alam differ by about 136% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $973 including rent). Setia Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $515 in Setia Alam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $177 in Setia Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $973 in Setia Alam versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Setia Alam but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.