Cost of Living Comparison Between Nilai and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Nilai and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $861 in Nilai versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,314 in Nilai versus $3,289 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,767 in Nilai versus $4,369 in Lisbon.

Living in Nilai costs roughly 61% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nilai is 36% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.58

$15.71 €13.81

-77.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.51 MYR 75.7

$62.9 €55.3

-70.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 MYR 24.23

$10.53 €9.26

-43.68%

Cappuccino

$2.75 MYR 11.23

$2.88 €2.54

-4.51%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$2.25 €1.98

-65.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.49

$1.56 €1.37

-76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 MYR 14.83

$3.39 €2.98

7.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MYR 20.04

$3.90 €3.43

25.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.60

$1.08 €0.95

72.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 MYR 3.87

$1.73 €1.52

-45.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.33

$1.76 €1.55

-26.14%

Eggs

$2.06 MYR 8.44

$3.16 €2.78

-34.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.82 MYR 60.6

$13.29 €11.68

11.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 MYR 17.36

$7.87 €6.92

-46.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.67 MYR 39.53

$15.84 €13.92

-38.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MYR 11.68

$2.40 €2.11

19.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.93

$1.70 €1.50

-14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 MYR 10.61

$2.03 €1.78

28.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$2.52 €2.21

-44.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.08

$1.86 €1.63

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$2.06 €1.81

-35.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 MYR 4.06

$2.00 €1.76

-50.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.31

$0.78 €0.69

-28.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MYR 17.00

$6.65 €5.84

-37.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.99 MYR 77.7

$5.78 €5.08

228.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 MYR 11.21

$1.38 €1.22

98.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 12.16

$3.02 €2.65

-1.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.98

$2.33 €2.05

-68.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.82 MYR 48.32

$45.45 €39.96

-73.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.92

$4.08 €3.58

-70.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 MYR 4.22

$0.80 €0.70

28.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.00 MYR 24.53

$18.65 €16.39

-67.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.03

$2.00 €1.76

-75.00%

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

$35.9K MYR 147.0K

$35.4K €31.1K

1.58%

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

$31.3K MYR 128.0K

$39.1K €34.3K

-19.87%

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

$42.98 MYR 176

$150 €132

-71.37%

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

$9.09 MYR 37.19

$20.55 €18.07

-55.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.68 MYR 117

$39.45 €34.68

-27.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.80 MYR 150

$48.06 €42.25

-23.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.85 MYR 23.94

$18.70 €16.44

-68.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 MYR 20.57

$9.30 €8.18

-45.91%

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

$184 MYR 754

$628 €552

-70.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,893 MYR 28.2K

$16.5K €14.5K

-58.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 MYR 246

$102 €89.3

-40.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.93 MYR 110

$41.55 €36.52

-35.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 MYR 299

$92.5 €81.3

-20.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MYR 211

$123 €108

-57.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 MYR 1,568

$1,628 €1,431

-76.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 MYR 1,118

$1,233 €1,084

-77.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$649 MYR 2,653

$3,126 €2,748

-79.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MYR 1,922

$2,058 €1,809

-77.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,336 MYR 9,554

$7,762 €6,824

-69.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,079 MYR 4,412

$4,386 €3,856

-75.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,414 MYR 5,781

$1,621 €1,425

-12.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.07

3.81

6.82%

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

Last update for Nilai: July 21, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $383 in Nilai and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 15% 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: $19.00 in Nilai vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $269 per month, with Nilai 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

Nilai vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nilai and Lisbon differ by about 157% in total monthly costs ($861 vs $2,210 including rent). Nilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $383 in Nilai versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $184 in Nilai versus $628 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Nilai versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nilai but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nilai 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, Nilai and Lisbon 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 Nilai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.