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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $802 in Sibu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,227 in Sibu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,652 in Sibu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 184% more expensive than in Sibu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sibu is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$2.16 MYR 8.84

629.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$8.61 MYR 35.20

637.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$4.18 MYR 17.10

150.00%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.08 MYR 8.50

39.90%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.63 MYR 2.59

263.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.23 MYR 0.93

552.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.85 MYR 11.65

24.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$5.08 MYR 20.77

-22.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.39 MYR 5.67

-22.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.35 MYR 5.53

30.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.15 MYR 4.70

47.83%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$1.53 MYR 6.24

112.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$14.98 MYR 61.2

-11.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$4.67 MYR 19.07

64.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$5.98 MYR 24.42

163.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.99 MYR 12.20

-23.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.16 MYR 4.75

43.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.93 MYR 7.87

4.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$3.50 MYR 14.29

-29.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.19 MYR 4.86

50.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$2.33 MYR 9.54

-11.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.05 MYR 4.28

87.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$1.20 MYR 4.89

-30.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$4.06 MYR 16.58

61.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$19.77 MYR 80.8

-71.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.22 MYR 5.00

9.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$3.90 MYR 15.96

-22.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.72 MYR 2.96

215.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$11.95 MYR 48.84

287.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.21 MYR 4.94

249.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.99 MYR 4.06

-14.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$5.80 MYR 23.70

224.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.47 MYR 1.90

329.79%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$35.5K MYR 145.1K

-1.52%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$31.8K MYR 129.9K

24.77%

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

$148 €129

$42.92 MYR 175

244.66%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$5.16 MYR 21.11

297.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$18.36 MYR 75.1

115.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$22.98 MYR 93.9

109.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$5.80 MYR 23.69

217.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$3.22 MYR 13.17

182.61%

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

$615 €536

$185 MYR 756

232.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$6,983 MYR 28.5K

133.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$60.4 MYR 247

68.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$27.03 MYR 110

55.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$71.7 MYR 293

28.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$49.94 MYR 204

144.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$392 MYR 1,603

310.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$269 MYR 1,097

366.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$653 MYR 2,670

369.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$465 MYR 1,899

338.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$2,325 MYR 9,502

233.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$1,259 MYR 5,145

240.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$489 MYR 1,998

227.62%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sibu: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $392 in Sibu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 228% 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 $9.00 in Sibu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $252 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 184% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $802 including rent). Sibu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 228% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $392 in Sibu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $185 in Sibu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $802 in Sibu versus $2,280 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 184% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.