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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $673 in Taiping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $1,069 in Taiping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $1,464 in Taiping.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 228% more expensive than in Taiping, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Taiping is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.78

$1.85 MYR 7.55

749.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.2

$23.78 MYR 97.2

164.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.24

$3.66 MYR 14.98

187.70%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.53

$1.45 MYR 5.93

98.62%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$0.60 MYR 2.47

275.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$0.25 MYR 1.03

524.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.97

$2.76 MYR 11.30

22.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.42

$4.76 MYR 19.46

-18.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.44 MYR 5.89

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$0.79 MYR 3.21

118.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.59 MYR 2.43

198.31%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.77

$1.36 MYR 5.54

132.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.66

$18.61 MYR 76.1

-28.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.90

$4.35 MYR 17.79

80.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.89

$7.56 MYR 30.91

109.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$2.72 MYR 11.13

-11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.73 MYR 7.07

-1.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.41 MYR 9.87

-15.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$1.62 MYR 6.64

55.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.07 MYR 4.39

73.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.04 MYR 4.25

98.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$0.68 MYR 2.77

194.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.68

$0.45 MYR 1.85

73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.83

$4.16 MYR 17.02

59.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.07

$18.29 MYR 74.8

-68.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$3.87 MYR 15.84

-64.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$5.57 MYR 22.77

-45.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.04

$0.96 MYR 3.92

142.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.88

$8.06 MYR 32.95

463.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$1.08 MYR 4.42

277.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.21 MYR 0.85

280.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.36

$4.39 MYR 17.95

324.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$0.50 MYR 2.05

300.00%

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

$35.4K €31.0K

$32.0K MYR 131.0K

10.43%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$26.7K MYR 109.0K

46.58%

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

$150 €132

$73.9 MYR 302

103.11%

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

$20.55 €18.03

$5.21 MYR 21.28

294.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.61

$27.64 MYR 113

42.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.17

$17.54 MYR 71.7

174.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.40

$2.40 MYR 9.83

679.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.16

$4.43 MYR 18.10

109.93%

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

$628 €551

$119 MYR 488

425.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$4,271 MYR 17.5K

285.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.1

$46.88 MYR 192

116.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.45

$28.91 MYR 118

43.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.1

$53.3 MYR 218

73.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$47.31 MYR 193

159.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,428

$117 MYR 477

1294.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,081

$116 MYR 475

961.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,742

$331 MYR 1,352

845.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,805

$261 MYR 1,066

689.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,810

$2,091 MYR 8,546

271.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,848

$1,151 MYR 4,707

280.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,422

$555 MYR 2,268

192.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.95

-3.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Last update for Taiping: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $117 in Taiping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 192% 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 $24.00 in Taiping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $253 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 228% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $673 including rent). Taiping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 192% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $117 in Taiping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Lisbon versus $119 in Taiping. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $673 in Taiping versus $2,210 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 228% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.