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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $824 in Sungai Petani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,254 in Sungai Petani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,684 in Sungai Petani.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 178% more expensive than in Sungai Petani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sungai Petani is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$3.07 MYR 12.57

427.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$20.95 MYR 85.7

202.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.16 MYR 17.01

148.08%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.66 MYR 6.80

70.48%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.49 MYR 2.02

367.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.25 MYR 1.02

532.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$4.49 MYR 18.36

-24.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.84 MYR 11.62

41.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-40.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.68 MYR 2.80

157.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.25 MYR 5.12

40.80%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.13 MYR 8.70

48.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$14.89 MYR 60.9

-11.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$3.60 MYR 14.73

121.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$9.79 MYR 40.05

58.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.91 MYR 11.91

-18.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.52 MYR 6.21

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.72 MYR 11.14

-26.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.10 MYR 8.59

15.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.18 MYR 4.84

49.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.16 MYR 4.76

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.90 MYR 3.69

113.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.46 MYR 1.87

84.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.99 MYR 16.33

64.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$18.87 MYR 77.2

-70.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.70 MYR 11.04

-50.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.47 MYR 14.20

-14.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.70 MYR 2.85

225.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$11.96 MYR 48.94

282.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.74 MYR 3.04

471.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.50 MYR 2.04

62.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$7.02 MYR 28.71

162.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.50 MYR 2.05

316.00%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$32.9K MYR 134.7K

5.27%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$27.2K MYR 111.4K

43.82%

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

$148 €130

$39.01 MYR 160

279.52%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$9.93 MYR 40.63

106.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$31.39 MYR 128

26.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$36.48 MYR 149

31.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$5.92 MYR 24.22

214.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$2.79 MYR 11.41

230.47%

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

$616 €540

$240 MYR 983

156.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,266 MYR 25.6K

162.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$54.0 MYR 221

90.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$28.31 MYR 116

47.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$62.3 MYR 255

52.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$53.8 MYR 220

126.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$384 MYR 1,571

325.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$270 MYR 1,106

355.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$634 MYR 2,593

388.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$479 MYR 1,960

323.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$2,051 MYR 8,389

281.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,180 MYR 4,826

272.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$494 MYR 2,020

225.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.16

-8.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sungai Petani: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $384 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 $21.00 in Sungai Petani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $249 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 178% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $824 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $384 in Sungai Petani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $240 in Sungai Petani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $824 in Sungai Petani versus $2,291 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 178% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.