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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $958 in Shah Alam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,436 in Shah Alam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,913 in Shah Alam.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 142% more expensive than in Shah Alam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Shah Alam is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$3.82 MYR 15.42

352.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$19.79 MYR 79.8

219.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$4.15 MYR 16.74

174.46%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.94 MYR 11.87

8.50%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.77 MYR 3.10

218.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.38 MYR 1.53

363.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$3.43 MYR 13.84

4.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.59 MYR 18.51

-26.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.87 MYR 7.56

-33.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.07 MYR 4.32

85.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.44 MYR 5.80

5.56%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.13 MYR 8.59

89.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$13.27 MYR 53.5

2.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$4.33 MYR 17.48

93.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$9.79 MYR 39.51

86.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.44 MYR 13.88

-33.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.70 MYR 6.87

2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.76 MYR 11.15

-32.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.83 MYR 7.38

43.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.25 MYR 5.05

53.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.07 MYR 8.36

0.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.47 MYR 5.92

-2.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.57 MYR 2.31

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.20 MYR 16.96

61.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$19.08 MYR 77.0

-70.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.79 MYR 11.24

-50.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$4.47 MYR 18.04

-50.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.77 MYR 3.09

211.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$16.34 MYR 65.9

186.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.28 MYR 5.15

225.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.39 MYR 1.57

192.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$7.56 MYR 30.50

133.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$0.75 MYR 3.02

209.33%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$42.1K MYR 170.0K

-16.13%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$35.5K MYR 143.3K

16.70%

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

$170 €146

$38.25 MYR 154

345.31%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$9.86 MYR 39.79

96.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$29.96 MYR 121

12.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$39.58 MYR 160

21.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$5.02 MYR 20.25

296.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$6.68 MYR 26.94

48.50%

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

$717 €617

$202 MYR 814

255.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$4,569 MYR 18.4K

282.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$58.4 MYR 236

79.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$39.95 MYR 161

17.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$68.5 MYR 276

50.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$70.8 MYR 286

74.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$350 MYR 1,412

379.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$311 MYR 1,255

308.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$567 MYR 2,288

426.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$555 MYR 2,241

258.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$1,489 MYR 6,007

425.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,181 MYR 4,764

294.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$1,238 MYR 4,994

27.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.24

-10.61%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $350 in Shah Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 28% 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 $20.00 in Shah Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $264 per month, with Shah 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 Shah Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Shah Alam differ by about 142% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $958 including rent). Shah Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $350 in Shah Alam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $202 in Shah Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $958 in Shah Alam versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shah Alam but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Shah 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 Shah 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 Shah Alam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.