Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sungai Petani Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sungai Petani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $883 in Sungai Petani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,334 in Sungai Petani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,785 in Sungai Petani.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 160% more expensive than in Sungai Petani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sungai Petani is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$3.61 MYR 14.72

387.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$19.99 MYR 81.6

214.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$4.56 MYR 18.62

153.95%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.75 MYR 7.13

77.14%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.77 MYR 3.14

223.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.38 MYR 1.57

357.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$4.26 MYR 17.38

-18.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.00 MYR 12.26

14.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.85 MYR 7.56

-37.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.09 MYR 4.44

75.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.75 MYR 7.16

-14.29%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.20 MYR 8.97

80.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$9.48 MYR 38.68

40.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$4.35 MYR 17.78

84.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$8.60 MYR 35.09

109.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.90 MYR 11.82

-18.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.73 MYR 7.08

1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.49 MYR 10.15

-25.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.43 MYR 5.83

78.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.07 MYR 4.37

71.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.15 MYR 4.71

82.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.10 MYR 4.49

35.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.58 MYR 2.37

41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.38 MYR 17.90

62.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$19.52 MYR 79.7

-69.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.03 MYR 12.39

-56.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$4.00 MYR 16.33

-46.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.77 MYR 3.16

206.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$12.47 MYR 50.9

273.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.74 MYR 7.12

134.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.41 MYR 1.66

178.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$7.19 MYR 29.34

137.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.48 MYR 1.97

381.25%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$42.4K MYR 173.0K

-19.45%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$34.4K MYR 140.6K

20.12%

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

$169 €147

$36.98 MYR 151

355.79%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$10.10 MYR 41.25

91.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$19.78 MYR 80.7

69.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$40.50 MYR 165

20.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$6.49 MYR 26.51

199.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$2.98 MYR 12.16

221.14%

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

$696 €607

$425 MYR 1,735

63.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$10.9K MYR 44.4K

59.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$60.2 MYR 246

75.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$34.80 MYR 142

37.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$74.7 MYR 305

34.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$68.8 MYR 281

80.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$411 MYR 1,679

303.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$309 MYR 1,260

303.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$690 MYR 2,817

329.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$491 MYR 2,005

317.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$2,045 MYR 8,349

283.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,136 MYR 4,640

292.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$501 MYR 2,047

225.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.24

-10.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sungai Petani: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $411 in Sungai Petani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 225% 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 $20.00 in Sungai Petani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $242 per month, with Sungai Petani 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 Sungai Petani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sungai Petani differ by about 160% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $883 including rent). Sungai Petani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 225% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $411 in Sungai Petani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $425 in Sungai Petani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $883 in Sungai Petani versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sungai Petani but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sungai Petani 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 Sungai Petani 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 Sungai Petani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.