Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sibu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sibu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $821 in Sibu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,237 in Sibu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,653 in Sibu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 169% more expensive than Sibu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sibu is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$2.10 MYR 8.43

657.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$8.41 MYR 33.74

670.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.00 MYR 16.03

162.75%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.13 MYR 8.52

34.74%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.60 MYR 2.39

273.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.23 MYR 0.92

552.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.84 MYR 11.40

22.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.95 MYR 19.86

-21.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.39 MYR 5.56

-17.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.33 MYR 5.32

31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.20 MYR 4.81

46.67%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.55 MYR 6.22

107.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$14.94 MYR 59.9

-9.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.68 MYR 18.77

69.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$5.93 MYR 23.78

167.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.04 MYR 12.20

-24.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.21 MYR 4.83

40.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.87 MYR 7.50

7.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.48 MYR 13.95

-29.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.25 MYR 5.00

47.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.31 MYR 9.27

-13.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.99 MYR 3.99

94.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.20 MYR 4.83

-34.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.94 MYR 15.81

67.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$18.02 MYR 72.3

-68.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.22 MYR 4.88

12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$4.09 MYR 16.41

-27.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.73 MYR 2.92

224.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$11.84 MYR 47.46

284.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.20 MYR 4.80

257.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.98 MYR 3.93

-16.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$5.83 MYR 23.38

213.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.50 MYR 1.99

312.00%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$34.7K MYR 139.2K

-1.28%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$31.4K MYR 125.7K

25.30%

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

$148 €127

$43.93 MYR 176

236.60%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$5.12 MYR 20.53

300.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$18.25 MYR 73.2

117.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$23.20 MYR 93.1

106.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$5.79 MYR 23.20

226.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$3.09 MYR 12.40

197.09%

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

$614 €529

$190 MYR 762

223.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,990 MYR 28.0K

129.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$61.0 MYR 245

71.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$27.04 MYR 108

55.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$72.0 MYR 289

30.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$50.2 MYR 201

138.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$384 MYR 1,540

323.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$271 MYR 1,085

364.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$650 MYR 2,606

366.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$464 MYR 1,863

334.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$2,217 MYR 8,890

251.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$869 MYR 3,484

391.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$511 MYR 2,048

213.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.25

-10.35%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sibu: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $384 in Sibu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 214% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $8.00 in Sibu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $249 per month, with Sibu 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 Sibu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sibu differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $821 including rent). Sibu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 214% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $384 in Sibu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $190 in Sibu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $821 in Sibu versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sibu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sibu 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 Sibu 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 Sibu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.