Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandarawela and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandarawela: $496 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Bandarawela
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Bandarawela Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Bandarawela

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$496

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bandarawela and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bandarawela and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $496 per month in Bandarawela vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bandarawela $496
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $793 per month in Bandarawela vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bandarawela $793
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $1,091 per month in Bandarawela vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bandarawela $1,091
Lisbon $4,341

Bandarawela is about 78% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bandarawela sits 64% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.40 LKR 465

$16.65 €14.95

-91.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.56 LKR 8,164

$61.7 €55.5

-60.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 LKR 2,585

$11.36 €10.20

-31.60%

Cappuccino

$1.53 LKR 507

$2.97 €2.67

-48.48%

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

$0.63 LKR 208

$2.29 €2.06

-72.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.3

$1.74 €1.56

-84.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 739

$3.40 €3.06

-34.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 LKR 797

$3.31 €2.97

-27.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 LKR 547

$1.16 €1.04

41.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.34 LKR 114

$1.91 €1.72

-82.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 205

$1.51 €1.36

-58.94%

Eggs

$1.08 LKR 357

$4.02 €3.61

-73.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 LKR 4,492

$12.94 €11.62

4.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 LKR 1,231

$7.77 €6.98

-52.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.57 LKR 2,516

$17.76 €15.95

-57.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 LKR 2,240

$2.30 €2.07

193.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 LKR 196

$1.73 €1.56

-65.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 LKR 1,500

$1.86 €1.67

142.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 426

$2.59 €2.33

-50.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 312

$1.82 €1.64

-48.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 LKR 172

$1.97 €1.77

-73.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 LKR 316

$1.47 €1.32

-35.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.72 €0.65

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.60 LKR 3,192

$6.58 €5.91

45.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 LKR 4,289

$5.61 €5.04

129.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 649

$1.36 €1.22

43.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 LKR 968

$2.14 €1.92

35.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 LKR 46.52

$2.33 €2.10

-93.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$1.55 LKR 516

$44.68 €40.14

-96.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$3.85 €3.46

-90.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 LKR 95.7

$1.07 €0.96

-72.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 LKR 155

$16.46 €14.79

-97.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 LKR 328

$2.20 €1.98

-55.00%

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

$43.5K LKR 14.5M

$34.2K €30.7K

27.28%

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

$40.3K LKR 13.4M

$38.7K €34.8K

3.98%

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

$59.9 LKR 19.9K

$161 €145

-62.83%

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

$3.29 LKR 1,094

$18.41 €16.54

-82.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.92 LKR 1,968

$32.74 €29.41

-81.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$6.21 LKR 2,064

$44.55 €40.02

-86.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.51 LKR 1,499

$19.10 €17.16

-76.39%

Cinema Ticket

$2.47 LKR 821

$9.60 €8.62

-74.27%

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

$37.24 LKR 12.4K

$668 €600

-94.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,204 LKR 400.2K

$17.6K €15.8K

-93.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.29 LKR 6,081

$102 €91.6

-82.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.75 LKR 5,568

$44.46 €39.94

-62.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 LKR 26.0K

$98.5 €88.5

-20.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.03 LKR 13.6K

$124 €111

-66.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$91.8 LKR 30.5K

$1,608 €1,445

-94.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$45.15 LKR 15.0K

$1,190 €1,069

-96.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$119 LKR 39.7K

$2,812 €2,526

-95.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$61.5 LKR 20.5K

$2,013 €1,808

-96.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

3.85

229.61%

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

Last update for Bandarawela: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Bandarawela

$225 45.3%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 21.3% $48

Eating Out

Bandarawela

$72 14.6%

Lisbon

$243 11% 235% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Bandarawela

$69 14%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 139% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandarawela

$69 14%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 207% $143

Accommodation & Living

Bandarawela

$45 9.1%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 2536% $1.1K

Sport & Entertainment

Bandarawela

$11 2.3%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 472% $53

Getting Around

Bandarawela

$3.9 0.8%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 1508% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $92 in Bandarawela versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Bandarawela versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $272 – making Bandarawela the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Bandarawela

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

23:34 11:34 PM

18:04 6:04 PM

5 h 30 min behind Bandarawela

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bandarawela Lisbon 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Bandarawela
Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bandarawela vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $496 in Bandarawela, $2,210 in Lisbon – roughly 346% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $744 per month in Bandarawela and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bandarawela, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $92 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Kindergarten costs $37 per month in Bandarawela and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bandarawela, where all-in costs run around $496, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Bandarawela it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bandarawela – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

For expats, Bandarawela is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 346% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.