Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $867 in Penang versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,368 in Penang versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,870 in Penang versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Penang costs roughly 62% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Penang is 35% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.08 MYR 12.58

$15.75 €13.74

-80.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.63 MYR 88.4

$63.5 €55.3

-65.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.15 MYR 16.96

$10.45 €9.11

-60.29%

Cappuccino

$2.97 MYR 12.13

$2.91 €2.54

2.06%

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

$0.74 MYR 3.02

$2.29 €2.00

-67.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.37

$1.50 €1.31

-78.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.29 MYR 17.52

$3.56 €3.11

20.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MYR 18.20

$3.96 €3.46

12.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.69

$1.08 €0.94

74.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.22

$1.76 €1.54

-41.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 MYR 8.41

$1.70 €1.48

21.18%

Eggs

$2.12 MYR 8.67

$3.25 €2.83

-34.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.00 MYR 69.5

$13.25 €11.55

28.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 MYR 21.20

$7.70 €6.72

-32.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.91 MYR 61.0

$15.77 €13.75

-5.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MYR 11.89

$2.28 €1.99

27.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.92

$1.66 €1.44

-12.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 MYR 10.89

$2.02 €1.76

31.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 MYR 8.60

$2.47 €2.16

-14.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.62

$1.79 €1.56

-36.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$2.07 €1.80

-42.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 MYR 3.62

$1.97 €1.72

-54.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.96

$0.83 €0.73

-42.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MYR 17.13

$6.55 €5.71

-36.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.28 MYR 78.8

$5.57 €4.85

246.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MYR 10.84

$1.33 €1.16

99.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 MYR 13.89

$3.01 €2.62

12.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$2.27 €1.98

-80.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.76 MYR 72.6

$46.35 €40.41

-61.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 MYR 3.04

$4.23 €3.69

-82.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.85 €0.74

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.90 MYR 28.21

$18.83 €16.41

-63.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.03

$2.02 €1.76

-75.25%

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

$34.1K MYR 139.3K

$35.0K €30.5K

-2.53%

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

$27.3K MYR 111.8K

$39.6K €34.6K

-31.02%

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

$39.05 MYR 160

$148 €129

-73.60%

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

$10.17 MYR 41.58

$20.52 €17.89

-50.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.51 MYR 129

$39.52 €34.46

-20.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.40 MYR 132

$48.17 €42.00

-32.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.53 MYR 22.61

$18.39 €16.03

-69.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.64

$9.10 €7.93

-47.14%

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

$240 MYR 979

$615 €536

-61.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,182 MYR 25.3K

$16.3K €14.2K

-62.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 MYR 226

$102 €88.6

-45.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.23 MYR 119

$42.09 €36.69

-30.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 MYR 250

$92.3 €80.5

-33.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 MYR 215

$122 €106

-56.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 MYR 1,559

$1,612 €1,405

-76.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 MYR 921

$1,254 €1,093

-82.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 MYR 2,598

$3,069 €2,676

-79.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 MYR 2,133

$2,037 €1,776

-74.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,203 MYR 9,004

$7,751 €6,757

-71.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 MYR 4,740

$4,286 €3,737

-72.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$942 MYR 3,849

$1,602 €1,396

-41.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

3.81

9.19%

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

Last update for Penang: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $382 in Penang and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 70% 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: $22.00 in Penang vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $267, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Penang vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang and Lisbon differ by about 163% in total monthly costs ($867 vs $2,280 including rent). Penang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 70% 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: $382 in Penang versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Penang versus $615 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $867 in Penang versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Penang but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Penang 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, Penang 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 Penang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.