Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Skudai Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Skudai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $807 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,223 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,639 in Skudai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 180% more expensive than Skudai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Skudai is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$3.53 MYR 14.31

351.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$19.18 MYR 77.8

230.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$4.83 MYR 19.59

114.91%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$2.97 MYR 12.06

-6.06%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$0.69 MYR 2.79

239.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$0.39 MYR 1.59

302.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$3.61 MYR 14.66

-4.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$5.10 MYR 20.70

-23.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.83 MYR 7.42

-40.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.01 MYR 4.10

75.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.25 MYR 5.08

36.80%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$1.80 MYR 7.29

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$10.82 MYR 43.91

26.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$3.44 MYR 13.97

132.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$8.31 MYR 33.72

86.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$2.69 MYR 10.91

-14.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.51 MYR 6.15

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$2.58 MYR 10.45

-24.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$1.24 MYR 5.04

102.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.18 MYR 4.81

51.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.37 MYR 5.57

46.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.94 MYR 3.81

109.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.52 MYR 2.11

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$4.17 MYR 16.90

62.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$14.43 MYR 58.6

-60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.78 MYR 11.26

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$2.97 MYR 12.07

1.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.68 MYR 2.78

233.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$11.65 MYR 47.28

290.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$0.98 MYR 3.99

337.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.98 MYR 3.98

-13.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$9.51 MYR 38.60

92.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.49 MYR 2.01

306.12%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$31.5K MYR 128.0K

11.08%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$27.8K MYR 112.7K

42.42%

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

$146 €127

$41.22 MYR 167

254.63%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$8.87 MYR 35.98

130.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$22.56 MYR 91.6

72.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$36.97 MYR 150

32.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$5.99 MYR 24.30

214.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$4.88 MYR 19.82

95.08%

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

$608 €527

$189 MYR 766

222.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$6,831 MYR 27.7K

141.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$48.40 MYR 196

114.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$18.80 MYR 76.3

124.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$59.5 MYR 241

54.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$47.35 MYR 192

153.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$387 MYR 1,571

318.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$267 MYR 1,082

375.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$638 MYR 2,590

377.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$470 MYR 1,908

327.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$1,940 MYR 7,872

295.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$1,095 MYR 4,443

295.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.07

-6.39%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Skudai: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $387 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $19.00 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $219 per month, with Skudai 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 Skudai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Skudai differ by about 180% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $807 including rent). Skudai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $1,211 in Skudai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $387 in Skudai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $189 in Skudai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $807 in Skudai versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Skudai but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Skudai 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 Skudai 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 Skudai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.