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: $862 in Penang versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,379 in Penang versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,895 in Penang versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Penang is 36% below, Lisbon is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.10 MYR 12.24

$16.17 €13.81

-80.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.13 MYR 83.5

$64.6 €55.1

-67.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.12 MYR 16.27

$10.38 €8.86

-60.31%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.36

$2.77 €2.37

3.97%

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

$0.70 MYR 2.75

$2.25 €1.92

-68.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.32

$1.57 €1.34

-78.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.30 MYR 16.98

$3.49 €2.98

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MYR 17.51

$4.00 €3.42

10.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.48

$1.08 €0.93

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.05

$1.74 €1.49

-40.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 MYR 7.86

$1.74 €1.48

14.37%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.07

$3.18 €2.71

-35.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.30 MYR 68.4

$13.43 €11.47

28.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 MYR 19.54

$7.99 €6.83

-38.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.01 MYR 59.3

$16.09 €13.74

-6.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 MYR 11.38

$2.28 €1.95

26.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 5.96

$1.72 €1.47

-12.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.38

$1.94 €1.66

35.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MYR 8.24

$2.54 €2.17

-17.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.64

$1.83 €1.56

-35.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 MYR 4.63

$2.04 €1.74

-42.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 MYR 3.59

$1.98 €1.69

-54.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.91

$0.85 €0.73

-43.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 16.94

$6.85 €5.85

-37.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 MYR 76.7

$5.78 €4.93

235.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 MYR 10.82

$1.37 €1.17

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 MYR 13.39

$2.90 €2.48

16.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 MYR 1.80

$2.28 €1.95

-79.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.53 MYR 69.3

$46.84 €40.00

-62.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 MYR 2.94

$4.08 €3.48

-81.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MYR 2.10

$0.82 €0.70

-35.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.95 MYR 27.46

$18.27 €15.60

-61.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.82

$2.01 €1.71

-77.11%

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

$33.5K MYR 132.3K

$35.3K €30.1K

-5.02%

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

$27.9K MYR 110.3K

$38.5K €32.9K

-27.43%

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

$39.31 MYR 155

$145 €124

-72.96%

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

$10.23 MYR 40.40

$20.96 €17.90

-51.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 MYR 123

$40.05 €34.21

-22.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.28 MYR 131

$48.79 €41.66

-31.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.39 MYR 21.30

$18.69 €15.97

-71.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.01

$9.06 €7.74

-46.91%

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

$240 MYR 947

$607 €518

-60.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,163 MYR 24.3K

$16.3K €13.9K

-62.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 MYR 215

$105 €89.4

-48.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.08 MYR 115

$40.95 €34.97

-28.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.4 MYR 239

$93.6 €79.9

-35.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 MYR 208

$119 €101

-55.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$381 MYR 1,503

$1,604 €1,370

-76.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$227 MYR 895

$1,236 €1,055

-81.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 MYR 2,524

$3,046 €2,601

-79.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 MYR 2,077

$2,057 €1,756

-74.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,317 MYR 9,153

$7,709 €6,583

-69.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 MYR 4,729

$4,266 €3,644

-71.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$968 MYR 3,824

$1,584 €1,353

-38.89%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $381 in Penang and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 64% 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: $21.00 in Penang vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $271, 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 158% in total monthly costs ($862 vs $2,227 including rent). Penang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 64% less. 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: $381 in Penang versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Penang versus $607 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $862 in Penang versus $2,227 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 158% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.