Cost of Living Comparison Between Seri Iskandar and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Seri Iskandar and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $690 in Seri Iskandar versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $894 in Seri Iskandar versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,097 in Seri Iskandar versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Seri Iskandar costs roughly 69% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seri Iskandar is 49% below, Lisbon is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 MYR 10.82

$15.73 €13.42

-82.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.57 MYR 113

$63.2 €53.9

-54.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 MYR 17.37

$10.32 €8.80

-57.36%

Cappuccino

$0.99 MYR 3.89

$2.81 €2.40

-64.77%

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

$0.54 MYR 2.13

$2.33 €1.99

-76.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 MYR 0.99

$1.51 €1.29

-83.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 MYR 11.31

$3.37 €2.87

-15.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 MYR 14.31

$3.91 €3.34

-7.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 MYR 6.18

$1.08 €0.92

45.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 MYR 3.56

$1.75 €1.49

-48.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.46 MYR 1.82

$1.75 €1.50

-73.71%

Eggs

$1.92 MYR 7.59

$3.10 €2.64

-38.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.35 MYR 21.13

$13.28 €11.33

-59.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.90 MYR 7.52

$7.85 €6.70

-75.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.31 MYR 17.03

$16.05 €13.69

-73.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MYR 8.19

$2.39 €2.04

-13.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MYR 6.19

$1.72 €1.47

-8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MYR 7.54

$1.97 €1.68

-3.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.91 MYR 3.59

$2.55 €2.17

-64.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 MYR 2.40

$1.79 €1.53

-65.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 MYR 3.59

$1.97 €1.68

-53.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 MYR 3.60

$1.96 €1.67

-53.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MYR 2.29

$0.84 €0.71

-30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 MYR 16.51

$6.82 €5.82

-38.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.64 MYR 30.19

$5.85 €4.99

30.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 MYR 9.52

$1.38 €1.18

74.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 MYR 14.03

$2.92 €2.49

21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 MYR 4.28

$2.29 €1.95

-52.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.81 MYR 46.65

$46.88 €39.99

-74.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 MYR 3.56

$4.12 €3.51

-78.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MYR 4.36

$0.81 €0.69

35.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 MYR 18.88

$18.94 €16.16

-74.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 MYR 2.00

$2.09 €1.78

-75.60%

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

$19.2K MYR 75.9K

$35.1K €30.0K

-45.29%

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

$18.5K MYR 73.2K

$39.7K €33.9K

-53.33%

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

$64.3 MYR 254

$150 €128

-56.99%

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

$9.41 MYR 37.17

$20.49 €17.48

-54.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.94 MYR 63.0

$39.15 €33.40

-59.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.99 MYR 51.3

$49.65 €42.35

-73.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.85 MYR 23.12

$18.47 €15.76

-68.33%

Cinema Ticket

$3.58 MYR 14.16

$9.20 €7.84

-61.09%

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

$163 MYR 645

$624 €533

-73.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,610 MYR 38.0K

$15.9K €13.6K

-39.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.53 MYR 65.3

$102 €87.2

-83.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.27 MYR 32.67

$40.88 €34.87

-79.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.6 MYR 235

$95.7 €81.6

-37.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.13 MYR 139

$121 €103

-70.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 MYR 1,512

$1,653 €1,410

-76.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 MYR 1,044

$1,233 €1,051

-78.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 MYR 2,579

$3,043 €2,596

-78.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 MYR 598

$2,059 €1,756

-92.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,870 MYR 7,387

$7,879 €6,720

-76.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$822 MYR 3,247

$4,303 €3,671

-80.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$375 MYR 1,482

$1,566 €1,336

-76.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-47.51%

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

Last update for Seri Iskandar: April 22, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $383 in Seri Iskandar and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 317% 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: $29 in Seri Iskandar vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $153 vs $270 per month, with Seri Iskandar 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

Seri Iskandar vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seri Iskandar and Lisbon differ by about 225% in total monthly costs ($690 vs $2,243 including rent). Seri Iskandar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 317% 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: $383 in Seri Iskandar versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $163 in Seri Iskandar 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 76% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $690 in Seri Iskandar versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seri Iskandar but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Seri Iskandar 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, Seri Iskandar 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 Seri Iskandar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 225% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.