Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $909 in Sarawak versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,312 in Sarawak versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,714 in Sarawak versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Sarawak costs roughly 59% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sarawak is 32% below, Lisbon is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 MYR 13.65

$15.73 €13.42

-78.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.70 MYR 73.9

$63.2 €53.9

-70.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 MYR 21.37

$10.32 €8.80

-47.58%

Cappuccino

$2.70 MYR 10.66

$2.81 €2.40

-3.91%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.11

$2.33 €1.99

-66.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.55

$1.51 €1.29

-74.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.72 MYR 30.51

$3.37 €2.87

129.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 MYR 32.13

$3.91 €3.34

107.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.07

$1.08 €0.92

65.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MYR 3.92

$1.75 €1.49

-43.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 4.87

$1.75 €1.50

-29.71%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.08

$3.10 €2.64

-34.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.06 MYR 59.5

$13.28 €11.33

13.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.65 MYR 10.48

$7.85 €6.70

-66.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 MYR 37.93

$16.05 €13.69

-40.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MYR 11.81

$2.39 €2.04

25.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.75

$1.72 €1.47

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 MYR 9.88

$1.97 €1.68

26.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.65

$2.55 €2.17

-43.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.82

$1.79 €1.53

-31.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.04

$1.97 €1.68

-35.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MYR 4.09

$1.96 €1.67

-46.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MYR 2.47

$0.84 €0.71

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MYR 16.41

$6.82 €5.82

-39.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.22 MYR 64.1

$5.85 €4.99

177.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 MYR 11.28

$1.38 €1.18

107.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 11.74

$2.92 €2.49

1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.87

$2.29 €1.95

-68.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.56 MYR 45.65

$46.88 €39.99

-75.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.75

$4.12 €3.51

-70.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MYR 3.90

$0.81 €0.69

22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 MYR 23.35

$18.94 €16.16

-68.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 1.98

$2.09 €1.78

-76.08%

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

$35.2K MYR 139.1K

$35.1K €30.0K

0.25%

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

$31.7K MYR 125.3K

$39.7K €33.9K

-20.15%

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

$42.70 MYR 169

$150 €128

-71.45%

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

$8.86 MYR 34.99

$20.49 €17.48

-56.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.95 MYR 114

$39.15 €33.40

-26.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 MYR 146

$49.65 €42.35

-25.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.03 MYR 23.82

$18.47 €15.76

-67.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.90 MYR 19.34

$9.20 €7.84

-46.74%

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

$187 MYR 737

$624 €533

-70.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,975 MYR 27.6K

$15.9K €13.6K

-56.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.88 MYR 142

$102 €87.2

-64.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.15 MYR 155

$40.88 €34.87

-4.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 MYR 311

$95.7 €81.6

-17.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.5 MYR 227

$121 €103

-52.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$326 MYR 1,289

$1,653 €1,410

-80.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 MYR 1,065

$1,233 €1,051

-78.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 MYR 1,977

$3,043 €2,596

-83.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 MYR 1,405

$2,059 €1,756

-82.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,754 MYR 6,928

$7,879 €6,720

-77.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$886 MYR 3,498

$4,303 €3,671

-79.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 MYR 1,696

$1,566 €1,336

-72.59%

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 Sarawak: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $326 in Sarawak and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 265% 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 in Sarawak vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $270 per month, with Sarawak 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

Sarawak vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarawak and Lisbon differ by about 147% in total monthly costs ($909 vs $2,243 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 265% 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: $326 in Sarawak versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $187 in Sarawak versus $624 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $909 in Sarawak versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sarawak but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sarawak 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, Sarawak 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 Sarawak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 147% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.