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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $669 in Taiping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,068 in Taiping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,466 in Taiping.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 235% more expensive than Taiping, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Taiping is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$1.90 MYR 7.51

727.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$23.20 MYR 91.7

172.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$3.85 MYR 15.21

168.05%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$1.45 MYR 5.73

93.79%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.61 MYR 2.41

281.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.23 MYR 0.90

556.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.79 MYR 11.02

20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$4.60 MYR 18.18

-15.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.43 MYR 5.66

-24.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$0.86 MYR 3.39

103.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.58 MYR 2.30

201.72%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$1.36 MYR 5.37

127.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$19.04 MYR 75.2

-30.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$4.52 MYR 17.85

73.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$7.54 MYR 29.77

112.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.75 MYR 10.85

-13.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.71 MYR 6.74

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.53 MYR 9.98

-22.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.63 MYR 6.45

56.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.08 MYR 4.27

65.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.05 MYR 4.14

87.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.69 MYR 2.71

184.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.46 MYR 1.81

82.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.17 MYR 16.47

63.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$18.92 MYR 74.7

-69.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$3.79 MYR 14.96

-63.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$5.56 MYR 21.96

-47.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.91 MYR 3.60

151.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$8.34 MYR 32.93

462.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$1.07 MYR 4.23

285.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.21 MYR 0.83

285.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$4.37 MYR 17.25

333.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$0.46 MYR 1.83

354.35%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$31.4K MYR 123.8K

12.00%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$27.2K MYR 107.6K

45.77%

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

$150 €128

$75.3 MYR 297

98.59%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$5.06 MYR 19.99

304.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$26.63 MYR 105

47.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$17.77 MYR 70.2

179.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$2.39 MYR 9.42

672.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$4.54 MYR 17.93

102.64%

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

$624 €533

$116 MYR 458

438.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$4,361 MYR 17.2K

264.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$47.97 MYR 189

112.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$29.33 MYR 116

39.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$52.9 MYR 209

81.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$46.61 MYR 184

159.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$116 MYR 458

1326.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$116 MYR 458

962.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$335 MYR 1,322

809.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$264 MYR 1,043

679.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,778 MYR 7,023

343.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$885 MYR 3,497

386.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$599 MYR 2,366

161.54%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Taiping: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $116 in Taiping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 162% 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 in Lisbon vs $23 in Taiping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $257 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 235% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $669 including rent). Taiping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 162% more on average, 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $116 in Taiping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $116 in Taiping. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $669 in Taiping versus $2,243 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 235% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.