Cost of Living Comparison Between Selangor and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Selangor and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,029 in Selangor versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,494 in Selangor versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,960 in Selangor versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Selangor costs roughly 56% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Selangor is 25% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 MYR 17.76

$17.30 €14.93

-74.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.22 MYR 81.8

$63.3 €54.6

-68.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.06 MYR 16.43

$11.39 €9.83

-64.35%

Cappuccino

$2.24 MYR 9.06

$3.19 €2.75

-29.78%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.41

$2.45 €2.11

-65.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MYR 1.73

$1.76 €1.52

-75.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 MYR 18.19

$3.59 €3.10

25.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 MYR 20.09

$3.39 €2.93

46.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.62

$1.24 €1.07

51.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.49

$1.98 €1.71

-43.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.02

$1.52 €1.31

-1.97%

Eggs

$2.01 MYR 8.14

$4.04 €3.49

-50.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.12 MYR 65.2

$13.54 €11.68

19.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 MYR 19.79

$8.39 €7.24

-41.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 MYR 40.10

$18.25 €15.75

-45.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 MYR 13.58

$2.29 €1.98

46.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MYR 7.45

$1.74 €1.50

5.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 MYR 9.51

$1.86 €1.60

26.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.69

$2.63 €2.27

-36.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.41

$1.92 €1.65

-30.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.24

$2.09 €1.81

-49.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.74

$1.44 €1.24

-18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MYR 2.36

$0.84 €0.73

-30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 MYR 18.46

$6.78 €5.85

-32.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.08 MYR 77.2

$5.71 €4.93

234.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 MYR 13.69

$1.38 €1.19

145.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MYR 20.49

$2.22 €1.91

128.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 MYR 5.07

$2.40 €2.07

-47.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.60 MYR 50.9

$46.78 €40.37

-73.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 MYR 4.95

$4.17 €3.60

-70.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 MYR 5.10

$1.14 €0.98

10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 MYR 18.05

$17.68 €15.26

-74.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 MYR 2.77

$2.32 €2.01

-70.26%

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

$42.9K MYR 173.5K

$35.3K €30.5K

21.44%

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

$35.5K MYR 143.5K

$41.4K €35.8K

-14.36%

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

$65.6 MYR 265

$170 €147

-61.52%

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

$9.42 MYR 38.10

$19.34 €16.69

-51.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.41 MYR 107

$33.64 €29.03

-21.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 MYR 164

$48.10 €41.50

-15.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.09 MYR 28.68

$19.90 €17.17

-64.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 MYR 21.96

$9.92 €8.56

-45.26%

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

$123 MYR 499

$717 €619

-82.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,417 MYR 30.0K

$17.5K €15.1K

-57.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 MYR 288

$105 €90.4

-31.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.00 MYR 174

$46.95 €40.51

-8.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MYR 319

$103 €89.2

-23.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 MYR 333

$124 €107

-33.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 MYR 2,057

$1,677 €1,447

-69.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,405

$1,271 €1,097

-72.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MYR 3,685

$2,985 €2,575

-69.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 MYR 1,977

$1,992 €1,719

-75.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,618 MYR 6,540

$7,826 €6,753

-79.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$711 MYR 2,874

$4,658 €4,019

-84.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 MYR 4,285

$1,583 €1,366

-33.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.79

4.49%

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

Last update for Selangor: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $509 in Selangor and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 49% 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: $20.00 in Selangor vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $283 per month, with Selangor 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

Selangor vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Selangor and Lisbon differ by about 125% in total monthly costs ($1,029 vs $2,316 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 49% 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: $509 in Selangor versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $123 in Selangor versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,029 in Selangor versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Selangor but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Selangor 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, Selangor 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 Selangor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.