Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Taiping Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Taiping

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $893 in Taiping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,169 in Taiping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,444 in Taiping.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 154% more expensive than in Taiping, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Taiping is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$1.96 MYR 7.96

795.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$24.65 MYR 100

161.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$4.37 MYR 17.77

166.59%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.53 MYR 6.23

113.07%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.59 MYR 2.40

322.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.26 MYR 1.06

542.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.90 MYR 11.81

19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$5.08 MYR 20.65

-29.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.57 MYR 6.38

-24.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.85 MYR 3.47

129.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.61 MYR 2.50

155.74%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.35 MYR 5.49

197.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$15.53 MYR 63.2

-14.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.67 MYR 19.00

80.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$8.28 MYR 33.67

120.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.92 MYR 11.88

-20.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.88 MYR 7.64

-7.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.42 MYR 9.83

-20.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.66 MYR 6.76

59.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.15 MYR 4.69

65.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.45 MYR 5.91

45.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.77 MYR 3.14

87.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.48 MYR 1.94

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.41 MYR 17.95

58.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$19.41 MYR 79.0

-69.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$3.47 MYR 14.12

-60.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$5.03 MYR 20.44

-57.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.73 MYR 2.97

226.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$8.43 MYR 34.30

448.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.13 MYR 4.61

270.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.39 MYR 1.57

182.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$4.86 MYR 19.76

255.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.50 MYR 2.03

350.00%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$33.3K MYR 135.5K

3.49%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$28.5K MYR 115.8K

46.24%

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

$171 €147

$63.6 MYR 259

168.72%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$5.53 MYR 22.52

243.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$26.20 MYR 107

30.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$18.76 MYR 76.3

164.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$2.54 MYR 10.32

668.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.72 MYR 19.22

113.98%

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

$699 €603

$126 MYR 512

455.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$8,824 MYR 35.9K

101.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$49.90 MYR 203

109.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$31.36 MYR 128

52.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$56.3 MYR 229

80.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$49.52 MYR 201

159.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$126 MYR 512

1219.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$326 MYR 1,327

276.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$354 MYR 1,439

724.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$272 MYR 1,105

645.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,029 MYR 8,255

300.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,114 MYR 4,533

316.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$565 MYR 2,297

186.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.95

-4.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Taiping: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $126 in Taiping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 187% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Taiping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $252 per month, with Taiping 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 Taiping: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Taiping differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $893 including rent). Taiping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 187% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $126 in Taiping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $126 in Taiping. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $893 in Taiping versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taiping but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Taiping 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 Taiping 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 Taiping gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.