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: $1,008 in Selangor versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,449 in Selangor versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,890 in Selangor versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Selangor costs roughly 54% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Selangor is 25% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.56 MYR 10.16

$15.91 €13.69

-83.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 MYR 91.7

$64.8 €55.7

-64.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 MYR 14.84

$10.51 €9.04

-64.41%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MYR 8.83

$2.87 €2.47

-22.30%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.06

$2.24 €1.93

-65.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.32

$1.50 €1.29

-78.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.19 MYR 16.62

$3.49 €3.00

20.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 MYR 21.15

$3.88 €3.34

37.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 MYR 7.26

$1.14 €0.98

60.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MYR 4.00

$1.75 €1.51

-42.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.74

$1.76 €1.51

-17.61%

Eggs

$1.83 MYR 7.24

$3.22 €2.77

-43.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 MYR 57.2

$13.49 €11.61

6.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 MYR 18.46

$7.91 €6.81

-41.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 MYR 38.98

$15.87 €13.65

-38.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MYR 11.37

$2.31 €1.99

24.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.52

$1.70 €1.46

-3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 MYR 10.65

$2.01 €1.73

33.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 5.98

$2.46 €2.12

-38.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.03

$1.84 €1.59

-30.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MYR 3.93

$2.00 €1.72

-50.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.28

$1.93 €1.66

-44.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.15

$0.79 €0.68

-31.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MYR 17.12

$6.61 €5.68

-34.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.54 MYR 77.5

$5.72 €4.92

241.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 MYR 13.35

$1.37 €1.17

145.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 MYR 16.88

$2.97 €2.56

43.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MYR 2.94

$2.37 €2.04

-68.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.61 MYR 46.04

$45.56 €39.19

-74.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.79

$4.29 €3.69

-71.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MYR 4.38

$0.82 €0.70

34.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 MYR 17.39

$18.30 €15.74

-76.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.84

$2.06 €1.78

-77.67%

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

$39.3K MYR 155.8K

$34.3K €29.5K

14.64%

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

$31.9K MYR 126.5K

$39.3K €33.8K

-18.81%

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

$65.4 MYR 259

$148 €127

-55.76%

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

$9.48 MYR 37.59

$20.52 €17.65

-53.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.69 MYR 102

$39.61 €34.08

-35.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.55 MYR 153

$47.85 €41.16

-19.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.29 MYR 28.90

$18.92 €16.28

-61.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.20 MYR 20.62

$9.18 €7.90

-43.36%

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

$117 MYR 462

$614 €528

-81.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,384 MYR 17.4K

$16.0K €13.8K

-72.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 MYR 237

$105 €90.0

-42.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 MYR 147

$42.06 €36.18

-12.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 MYR 298

$94.0 €80.8

-20.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 MYR 313

$120 €103

-34.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 MYR 1,749

$1,628 €1,400

-72.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,379

$1,255 €1,080

-72.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 MYR 3,365

$3,030 €2,607

-71.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 MYR 1,871

$2,020 €1,738

-76.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,659 MYR 6,577

$7,800 €6,709

-78.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$726 MYR 2,878

$4,273 €3,675

-83.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,004 MYR 3,980

$1,603 €1,379

-37.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.81

3.94%

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

Last update for Selangor: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $441 in Selangor and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 60% 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: $23.00 in Selangor vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $269 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 119% in total monthly costs ($1,008 vs $2,210 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 60% 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: $441 in Selangor versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $117 in Selangor 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 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,008 in Selangor versus $2,210 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 119% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.