Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tawau Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tawau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $858 in Tawau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,306 in Tawau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,754 in Tawau.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 166% more expensive than in Tawau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Tawau is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$3.59 MYR 14.68

338.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$18.61 MYR 76.1

241.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$4.04 MYR 16.50

158.66%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.26 MYR 9.24

28.76%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.72 MYR 2.93

218.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.36 MYR 1.49

316.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.41 MYR 9.84

47.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$3.28 MYR 13.42

20.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.53 MYR 6.24

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.32 MYR 5.38

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.68 MYR 6.87

1.19%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.06 MYR 8.42

57.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$14.84 MYR 60.7

-10.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$4.45 MYR 18.20

73.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$9.15 MYR 37.40

72.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.93 MYR 11.99

-22.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.53 MYR 6.24

8.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.48 MYR 10.16

-18.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.42 MYR 5.82

73.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.23 MYR 5.04

45.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.28 MYR 5.21

61.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.00 MYR 4.07

97.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.52 MYR 2.14

59.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$4.27 MYR 17.45

53.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$18.31 MYR 74.8

-69.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.76 MYR 11.28

-51.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$2.90 MYR 11.85

3.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.70 MYR 2.84

224.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$11.94 MYR 48.79

288.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.20 MYR 4.92

252.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.99 MYR 4.06

-14.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$5.98 MYR 24.44

214.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.50 MYR 2.05

304.00%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$34.7K MYR 141.7K

0.82%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$31.6K MYR 129.3K

25.31%

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

$148 €129

$44.32 MYR 181

233.78%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$8.87 MYR 36.26

131.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$28.77 MYR 118

37.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$36.32 MYR 148

32.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$5.78 MYR 23.62

218.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$2.78 MYR 11.37

227.34%

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

$615 €536

$186 MYR 758

231.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$6,797 MYR 27.8K

139.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$60.0 MYR 245

69.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$26.87 MYR 110

56.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$71.9 MYR 294

28.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$50.4 MYR 206

142.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$392 MYR 1,602

311.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$272 MYR 1,111

361.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$649 MYR 2,654

372.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$468 MYR 1,912

335.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$2,253 MYR 9,206

244.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$1,247 MYR 5,097

243.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$420 MYR 1,717

281.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.07

-6.39%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tawau: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $392 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 281% 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 $19.00 in Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $251 per month, with Tawau 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 Tawau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tawau differ by about 166% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $858 including rent). Tawau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 281% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $392 in Tawau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $186 in Tawau. 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 $858 in Tawau versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tawau but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tawau 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 Tawau 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 Tawau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.