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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $809 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,238 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,667 in Skudai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 177% more expensive than Skudai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Skudai is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$3.47 MYR 13.71

353.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$18.65 MYR 73.7

238.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$4.66 MYR 18.40

121.46%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$2.98 MYR 11.77

-5.70%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.73 MYR 2.89

219.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.37 MYR 1.46

308.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$3.50 MYR 13.84

-3.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$4.92 MYR 19.43

-20.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.87 MYR 7.40

-42.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$0.98 MYR 3.88

78.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.25 MYR 4.95

40.00%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$1.88 MYR 7.41

64.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$10.54 MYR 41.65

26.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$3.55 MYR 14.01

121.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$8.36 MYR 33.02

91.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.77 MYR 10.96

-13.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.51 MYR 5.97

13.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.50 MYR 9.87

-21.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.20 MYR 4.74

112.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.19 MYR 4.71

50.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.35 MYR 5.32

45.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.89 MYR 3.50

120.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.51 MYR 2.03

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.32 MYR 17.08

57.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$14.38 MYR 56.8

-59.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.73 MYR 10.79

-49.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.94 MYR 11.61

-0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.74 MYR 2.91

209.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$11.95 MYR 47.21

292.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$1.01 MYR 3.99

307.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.99 MYR 3.93

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$9.51 MYR 37.55

99.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$0.47 MYR 1.85

344.68%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$31.5K MYR 124.4K

11.49%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$27.6K MYR 109.1K

43.77%

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

$150 €128

$40.65 MYR 161

267.92%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$9.35 MYR 36.95

119.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$22.69 MYR 89.6

72.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$36.95 MYR 146

34.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$5.99 MYR 23.68

208.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$5.08 MYR 20.05

81.10%

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

$624 €533

$190 MYR 750

228.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$6,814 MYR 26.9K

133.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$49.26 MYR 195

107.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$18.59 MYR 73.5

119.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$60.1 MYR 237

59.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$47.05 MYR 186

157.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$386 MYR 1,527

327.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$271 MYR 1,071

354.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$635 MYR 2,507

379.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$473 MYR 1,868

335.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,753 MYR 6,923

349.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$880 MYR 3,477

388.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Skudai: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $386 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $19 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 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 177% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $809 including rent). Skudai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,365 in Lisbon and $1,213 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $386 in Skudai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $190 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 $809 in Skudai versus $2,243 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 177% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.