Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiping and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiping and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $669 in Taiping versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,068 in Taiping versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,466 in Taiping versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Taiping costs roughly 70% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taiping is 50% below, Lisbon is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 MYR 7.51

$15.73 €13.42

-87.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.20 MYR 91.7

$63.2 €53.9

-63.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.85 MYR 15.21

$10.32 €8.80

-62.69%

Cappuccino

$1.45 MYR 5.73

$2.81 €2.40

-48.40%

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

$0.61 MYR 2.41

$2.33 €1.99

-73.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 MYR 0.90

$1.51 €1.29

-84.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 MYR 11.02

$3.37 €2.87

-17.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 MYR 18.18

$3.91 €3.34

17.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MYR 5.66

$1.08 €0.92

32.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 MYR 3.39

$1.75 €1.49

-50.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.58 MYR 2.30

$1.75 €1.50

-66.86%

Eggs

$1.36 MYR 5.37

$3.10 €2.64

-56.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.04 MYR 75.2

$13.28 €11.33

43.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 MYR 17.85

$7.85 €6.70

-42.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 MYR 29.77

$16.05 €13.69

-53.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MYR 10.85

$2.39 €2.04

15.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.74

$1.72 €1.47

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 MYR 9.98

$1.97 €1.68

28.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.45

$2.55 €2.17

-36.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.27

$1.79 €1.53

-39.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.14

$1.97 €1.68

-46.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MYR 2.71

$1.96 €1.67

-64.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.81

$0.84 €0.71

-45.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MYR 16.47

$6.82 €5.82

-38.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.92 MYR 74.7

$5.85 €4.99

223.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.79 MYR 14.96

$1.38 €1.18

174.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 MYR 21.96

$2.92 €2.49

90.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 MYR 3.60

$2.29 €1.95

-60.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.34 MYR 32.93

$46.88 €39.99

-82.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 MYR 4.23

$4.12 €3.51

-74.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 MYR 0.83

$0.81 €0.69

-74.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 MYR 17.25

$18.94 €16.16

-76.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.83

$2.09 €1.78

-77.99%

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

$31.4K MYR 123.8K

$35.1K €30.0K

-10.72%

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

$27.2K MYR 107.6K

$39.7K €33.9K

-31.40%

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

$75.3 MYR 297

$150 €128

-49.65%

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

$5.06 MYR 19.99

$20.49 €17.48

-75.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.63 MYR 105

$39.15 €33.40

-31.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.77 MYR 70.2

$49.65 €42.35

-64.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.39 MYR 9.42

$18.47 €15.76

-87.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 MYR 17.93

$9.20 €7.84

-50.65%

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

$116 MYR 458

$624 €533

-81.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,361 MYR 17.2K

$15.9K €13.6K

-72.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.97 MYR 189

$102 €87.2

-53.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.33 MYR 116

$40.88 €34.87

-28.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.9 MYR 209

$95.7 €81.6

-44.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.61 MYR 184

$121 €103

-61.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$116 MYR 458

$1,653 €1,410

-92.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 MYR 458

$1,233 €1,051

-90.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 MYR 1,322

$3,043 €2,596

-89.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 MYR 1,043

$2,059 €1,756

-87.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,778 MYR 7,023

$7,879 €6,720

-77.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$885 MYR 3,497

$4,303 €3,671

-79.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$599 MYR 2,366

$1,566 €1,336

-61.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.81

3.67%

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

Last update for Taiping: April 22, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $116 in Taiping and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 162% 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 in Taiping vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $270 per month, with Taiping 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

Taiping vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taiping and Lisbon differ by about 235% in total monthly costs ($669 vs $2,243 including rent). Taiping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 162% 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: $116 in Taiping versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $116 in Taiping 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 5% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $669 in Taiping versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taiping but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Taiping 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, Taiping 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 Taiping gentler on the wallet – expenses run 235% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.