Cost of Living Comparison Between Serdang and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Serdang and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $961 in Serdang versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,466 in Serdang versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,971 in Serdang versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Serdang costs roughly 58% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Serdang is 28% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 MYR 18.61

$15.94 €13.82

-71.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.00 MYR 114

$63.4 €54.9

-55.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.59

$10.38 €9.00

-55.88%

Cappuccino

$2.97 MYR 12.04

$2.79 €2.42

6.45%

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

$0.90 MYR 3.67

$2.34 €2.03

-61.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.14

$1.57 €1.36

-66.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.23 MYR 17.16

$3.43 €2.97

23.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MYR 23.28

$3.91 €3.39

46.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 MYR 8.17

$1.08 €0.93

86.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 4.06

$1.77 €1.53

-43.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 6.97

$1.71 €1.48

0.58%

Eggs

$2.28 MYR 9.24

$3.15 €2.73

-27.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.54 MYR 59.0

$13.68 €11.86

6.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 MYR 18.58

$8.01 €6.94

-42.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 MYR 39.44

$15.52 €13.45

-37.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MYR 11.96

$2.29 €1.99

28.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 MYR 6.31

$1.64 €1.42

-4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 MYR 11.01

$1.94 €1.68

39.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.16

$2.51 €2.18

-39.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.00

$1.79 €1.55

-31.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.40

$2.01 €1.74

-33.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 MYR 4.95

$1.97 €1.70

-38.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MYR 2.54

$0.84 €0.73

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MYR 17.15

$6.79 €5.88

-37.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.36 MYR 78.6

$5.67 €4.92

241.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 MYR 13.36

$1.39 €1.20

136.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MYR 17.98

$3.02 €2.61

46.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.97

$2.27 €1.97

-67.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.97 MYR 48.58

$45.44 €39.38

-73.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.91

$4.29 €3.72

-71.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 MYR 4.61

$0.85 €0.74

34.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MYR 19.31

$18.28 €15.84

-73.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.47 MYR 1.91

$1.99 €1.72

-76.38%

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

$39.3K MYR 159.5K

$35.0K €30.4K

12.18%

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

$32.2K MYR 130.5K

$39.5K €34.3K

-18.68%

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

$64.3 MYR 261

$146 €127

-56.04%

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

$11.29 MYR 45.83

$20.45 €17.72

-44.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.07 MYR 106

$38.98 €33.78

-33.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.72 MYR 149

$48.98 €42.46

-25.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.95 MYR 24.13

$18.83 €16.32

-68.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 MYR 21.14

$9.52 €8.25

-45.27%

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

$266 MYR 1,079

$608 €527

-56.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,356 MYR 38.0K

$16.5K €14.3K

-43.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 MYR 242

$104 €90.0

-42.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 MYR 153

$42.12 €36.50

-10.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 MYR 342

$92.2 €79.9

-8.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 MYR 324

$120 €104

-33.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 MYR 1,542

$1,621 €1,405

-76.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 MYR 1,078

$1,268 €1,099

-79.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 MYR 2,655

$3,048 €2,642

-78.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MYR 1,923

$2,009 €1,741

-76.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,999 MYR 8,111

$7,663 €6,641

-73.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 MYR 4,002

$4,329 €3,752

-77.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,002 MYR 4,068

$1,585 €1,374

-36.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

3.81

17.32%

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

Last update for Serdang: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $380 in Serdang and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 58% 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: $28.00 in Serdang vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $269 per month, with Serdang 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

Serdang vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Serdang and Lisbon differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($961 vs $2,263 including rent). Serdang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 58% 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: $380 in Serdang versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $266 in Serdang versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $961 in Serdang versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Serdang but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Serdang 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, Serdang 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 Serdang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.