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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $953 in Tawau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,392 in Tawau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,831 in Tawau.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 138% more expensive than in Tawau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Tawau is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$3.17 MYR 12.90

453.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$19.40 MYR 78.9

232.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$4.18 MYR 16.98

178.71%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.12 MYR 12.68

4.49%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.95 MYR 3.88

162.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.36 MYR 1.45

363.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.65 MYR 10.79

30.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.52 MYR 18.38

-20.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.80 MYR 7.33

-34.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.02 MYR 4.14

91.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.46 MYR 5.95

6.85%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.91 MYR 7.77

109.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$13.32 MYR 54.2

-0.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.52 MYR 18.40

86.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$9.59 MYR 39.03

90.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.11 MYR 12.65

-25.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.63 MYR 6.64

6.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.46 MYR 10.03

-21.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.71 MYR 6.95

54.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.15 MYR 4.68

65.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.22 MYR 4.96

72.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.26 MYR 5.12

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.56 MYR 2.29

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.46 MYR 18.16

57.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$18.80 MYR 76.5

-68.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.91 MYR 11.85

-53.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.35 MYR 13.61

-35.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.77 MYR 3.13

209.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$11.38 MYR 46.30

306.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.25 MYR 5.10

235.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.48 MYR 1.95

129.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$8.39 MYR 34.12

105.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.72 MYR 2.94

212.50%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$42.3K MYR 172.3K

-18.60%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$34.7K MYR 141.0K

20.06%

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

$171 €147

$49.61 MYR 202

244.45%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$10.63 MYR 43.23

78.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$28.77 MYR 117

19.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$42.98 MYR 175

15.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$7.53 MYR 30.62

159.10%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$3.70 MYR 15.05

172.97%

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

$699 €603

$178 MYR 723

293.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,269 MYR 17.4K

316.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$57.1 MYR 232

83.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$40.35 MYR 164

18.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$94.2 MYR 383

8.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$67.1 MYR 273

91.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$476 MYR 1,937

248.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$347 MYR 1,413

253.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$753 MYR 3,063

287.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$558 MYR 2,271

262.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,147 MYR 8,733

278.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,253 MYR 5,099

269.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$413 MYR 1,678

292.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.2

-10.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Tawau: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $476 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 292% 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 $19.00 in Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $253 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 138% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $953 including rent). Tawau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 292% 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 $476 in Tawau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $178 in Tawau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $953 in Tawau versus $2,268 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 138% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.