Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $892 in Petaling Jaya versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,341 in Petaling Jaya versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,790 in Petaling Jaya versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Petaling Jaya costs roughly 60% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Petaling Jaya is 33% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.47 MYR 13.76

$15.91 €13.69

-78.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.73 MYR 74.3

$64.8 €55.7

-71.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 MYR 18.79

$10.51 €9.04

-54.90%

Cappuccino

$2.69 MYR 10.65

$2.87 €2.47

-6.27%

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

$0.72 MYR 2.87

$2.24 €1.93

-67.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.55

$1.50 €1.29

-74.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 MYR 13.63

$3.49 €3.00

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 MYR 20.16

$3.88 €3.34

30.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.48

$1.14 €0.98

65.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 MYR 3.73

$1.75 €1.51

-46.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.04

$1.76 €1.51

0.57%

Eggs

$2.20 MYR 8.74

$3.22 €2.77

-31.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 MYR 41.83

$13.49 €11.61

-21.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 MYR 13.42

$7.91 €6.81

-57.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.06 MYR 31.96

$15.87 €13.65

-49.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 MYR 10.87

$2.31 €1.99

18.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.66

$1.70 €1.46

-1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 MYR 9.90

$2.01 €1.73

24.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 MYR 4.99

$2.46 €2.12

-48.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.48

$1.84 €1.59

-38.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.26

$2.00 €1.72

-33.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 MYR 3.77

$1.93 €1.66

-50.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MYR 2.50

$0.79 €0.68

-20.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MYR 17.24

$6.61 €5.68

-34.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.58 MYR 81.6

$5.72 €4.92

259.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MYR 10.91

$1.37 €1.17

100.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 MYR 15.28

$2.97 €2.56

29.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.84

$2.37 €2.04

-69.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.92 MYR 47.24

$45.56 €39.19

-73.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.02

$4.29 €3.69

-76.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 MYR 1.29

$0.82 €0.70

-59.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.38 MYR 37.19

$18.30 €15.74

-48.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.95

$2.06 €1.78

-76.21%

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

$31.1K MYR 123.3K

$34.3K €29.5K

-9.30%

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

$28.2K MYR 111.7K

$39.3K €33.8K

-28.31%

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

$41.04 MYR 163

$148 €127

-72.25%

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

$8.87 MYR 35.17

$20.52 €17.65

-56.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.69 MYR 90.0

$39.61 €34.08

-42.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.62 MYR 149

$47.85 €41.16

-21.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.54 MYR 29.91

$18.92 €16.28

-60.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.85 MYR 19.21

$9.18 €7.90

-47.17%

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

$213 MYR 844

$614 €528

-65.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,116 MYR 32.2K

$16.0K €13.8K

-49.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 MYR 191

$105 €90.0

-53.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.97 MYR 139

$42.06 €36.18

-16.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.9 MYR 214

$94.0 €80.8

-42.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.40 MYR 192

$120 €103

-59.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 MYR 1,840

$1,628 €1,400

-71.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 MYR 1,358

$1,255 €1,080

-72.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 MYR 3,291

$3,030 €2,607

-72.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 MYR 2,135

$2,020 €1,738

-73.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,212 MYR 12.7K

$7,800 €6,709

-58.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$211 MYR 836

$4,273 €3,675

-95.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,782 MYR 7,066

$1,603 €1,379

11.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.49

3.81

17.85%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Petaling Jaya and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Petaling Jaya vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $269 per month, with Petaling Jaya 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

Petaling Jaya vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petaling Jaya and Lisbon differ by about 148% in total monthly costs ($892 vs $2,210 including rent). Petaling Jaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Petaling Jaya pays 11% more on average, 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: $464 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $213 in Petaling Jaya versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $892 in Petaling Jaya versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Petaling Jaya but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Petaling Jaya 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, Petaling Jaya 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 Petaling Jaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 148% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.