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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $928 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,343 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,757 in Skudai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 144% more expensive than in Skudai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Skudai is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$3.75 MYR 15.21

368.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$22.01 MYR 89.3

193.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$4.88 MYR 19.79

138.73%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$2.87 MYR 11.64

13.59%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$0.84 MYR 3.42

196.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.42 MYR 1.70

297.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.43 MYR 13.90

1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$5.84 MYR 23.70

-38.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.75 MYR 7.12

-32.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.03 MYR 4.18

89.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.50 MYR 6.07

4.00%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$1.70 MYR 6.89

135.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$9.64 MYR 39.10

37.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$3.22 MYR 13.07

161.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$9.92 MYR 40.23

83.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.35 MYR 13.58

-30.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.74 MYR 7.08

-0.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.79 MYR 11.33

-30.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.64 MYR 6.66

60.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.42 MYR 5.78

33.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.75 MYR 7.11

20.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.32 MYR 5.37

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.54 MYR 2.21

48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$4.41 MYR 17.91

58.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$14.26 MYR 57.9

-58.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.69 MYR 10.90

-49.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.03 MYR 12.28

-29.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.76 MYR 3.10

213.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$12.44 MYR 50.5

271.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$1.23 MYR 4.99

240.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.39 MYR 1.57

182.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$9.39 MYR 38.11

83.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$0.73 MYR 2.95

208.22%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$42.7K MYR 173.1K

-19.23%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$33.1K MYR 134.2K

25.82%

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

$171 €147

$49.43 MYR 201

245.70%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$8.43 MYR 34.20

125.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$26.70 MYR 108

28.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$41.50 MYR 168

19.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$6.56 MYR 26.60

197.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$5.08 MYR 20.59

98.82%

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

$699 €601

$162 MYR 657

331.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,558 MYR 18.5K

289.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$52.9 MYR 214

97.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$16.99 MYR 68.9

182.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$79.7 MYR 323

27.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$41.41 MYR 168

209.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$427 MYR 1,732

289.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$334 MYR 1,354

267.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$692 MYR 2,808

321.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$497 MYR 2,014

307.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$2,062 MYR 8,366

294.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$1,140 MYR 4,626

306.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.06

-6.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Skudai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $427 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $22.00 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $230 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 144% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $928 including rent). Skudai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,391 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $427 in Skudai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $162 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 $928 in Skudai versus $2,268 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 144% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.