Cost of Living Comparison Between Sungai Petani and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sungai Petani and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $824 in Sungai Petani versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,254 in Sungai Petani versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,684 in Sungai Petani versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Sungai Petani costs roughly 64% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sungai Petani is 38% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 MYR 12.57

$16.19 €14.18

-81.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 MYR 85.7

$63.3 €55.5

-66.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.16 MYR 17.01

$10.32 €9.04

-59.69%

Cappuccino

$1.66 MYR 6.80

$2.83 €2.48

-41.34%

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

$0.49 MYR 2.02

$2.29 €2.01

-78.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 MYR 1.02

$1.58 €1.38

-84.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 MYR 18.36

$3.40 €2.98

32.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 MYR 11.62

$4.03 €3.53

-29.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$1.09 €0.96

66.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 MYR 2.80

$1.75 €1.53

-61.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.12

$1.76 €1.54

-28.98%

Eggs

$2.13 MYR 8.70

$3.17 €2.77

-32.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.89 MYR 60.9

$13.19 €11.56

12.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 MYR 14.73

$7.97 €6.98

-54.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.79 MYR 40.05

$15.53 €13.60

-36.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MYR 11.91

$2.37 €2.07

22.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.21

$1.71 €1.49

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 MYR 11.14

$2.01 €1.76

35.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 MYR 8.59

$2.43 €2.13

-13.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.84

$1.76 €1.54

-32.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.76

$2.03 €1.78

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 MYR 3.69

$1.92 €1.68

-53.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.87

$0.85 €0.74

-45.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 MYR 16.33

$6.58 €5.76

-39.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 MYR 77.2

$5.58 €4.89

238.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 MYR 11.04

$1.33 €1.17

103.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 MYR 14.20

$2.97 €2.60

16.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$2.28 €1.99

-69.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.96 MYR 48.94

$45.79 €40.10

-73.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 MYR 3.04

$4.23 €3.70

-82.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$0.81 €0.71

-38.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 MYR 28.71

$18.44 €16.15

-61.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$2.08 €1.82

-75.96%

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

$32.9K MYR 134.7K

$34.7K €30.4K

-5.01%

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

$27.2K MYR 111.4K

$39.2K €34.3K

-30.47%

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

$39.01 MYR 160

$148 €130

-73.65%

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

$9.93 MYR 40.63

$20.46 €17.92

-51.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.39 MYR 128

$39.56 €34.64

-20.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.48 MYR 149

$47.99 €42.03

-23.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.92 MYR 24.22

$18.60 €16.29

-68.17%

Cinema Ticket

$2.79 MYR 11.41

$9.22 €8.08

-69.74%

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

$240 MYR 983

$616 €540

-60.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,266 MYR 25.6K

$16.4K €14.4K

-61.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 MYR 221

$103 €90.0

-47.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.31 MYR 116

$41.74 €36.55

-32.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.3 MYR 255

$94.8 €83.0

-34.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.8 MYR 220

$122 €107

-55.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 MYR 1,571

$1,633 €1,430

-76.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 MYR 1,106

$1,232 €1,079

-78.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 MYR 2,593

$3,098 €2,713

-79.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 MYR 1,960

$2,031 €1,779

-76.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,051 MYR 8,389

$7,831 €6,858

-73.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,180 MYR 4,826

$4,389 €3,844

-73.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 MYR 2,020

$1,607 €1,408

-69.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

3.81

9.19%

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

Last update for Sungai Petani: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $384 in Sungai Petani and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 225% 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: $21.00 in Sungai Petani vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $267 per month, with Sungai Petani 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

Sungai Petani vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sungai Petani and Lisbon differ by about 178% in total monthly costs ($824 vs $2,291 including rent). Sungai Petani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 225% 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: $384 in Sungai Petani versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Sungai Petani versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $824 in Sungai Petani versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sungai Petani but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sungai Petani 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, Sungai Petani 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 Sungai Petani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 178% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.