Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Anuradhapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Anuradhapura: $506 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Anuradhapura
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$506
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Anuradhapura

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

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $506 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Anuradhapura $506

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $820 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Anuradhapura $820

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $1,134 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Anuradhapura $1,134

Lisbon costs about 335% more than Anuradhapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Anuradhapura is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Anuradhapura
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$3.75 LKR 1,242
354.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$24.57 LKR 8,139
153.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$7.52 LKR 2,490
46.54%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$2.44 LKR 810
27.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.68 LKR 227
233.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$0.27 LKR 89.9
544.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$2.23 LKR 738
53.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$2.99 LKR 990
25.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Anuradhapura
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.61 LKR 534
-27.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$0.57 LKR 189
226.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$0.81 LKR 269
90.12%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$1.63 LKR 541
149.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$13.86 LKR 4,590
-6.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$4.92 LKR 1,630
60.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$7.26 LKR 2,405
142.98%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$6.67 LKR 2,208
-66.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$0.86 LKR 286
103.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$4.46 LKR 1,476
-57.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$1.26 LKR 418
103.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.00 LKR 330
85.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$0.83 LKR 274
137.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.93 LKR 308
55.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.43 LKR 142
79.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$10.39 LKR 3,441
-35.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$13.07 LKR 4,330
-56.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.96 LKR 648
-30.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$2.90 LKR 961
-27.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Anuradhapura
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$0.40 LKR 134
887.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$0.37 LKR 123
183.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$0.88 LKR 292
1848.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.34 LKR 443
63.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$43.5K LKR 14.4M
-22.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$40.1K LKR 13.3M
-4.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Anuradhapura
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$58.5 LKR 19.4K
180.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$4.23 LKR 1,401
336.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$21.09 LKR 6,984
56.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Anuradhapura
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$4.41 LKR 1,460
121.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Anuradhapura
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$38.06 LKR 12.6K
1697.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$1,224 LKR 405.4K
1340.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Anuradhapura
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$18.46 LKR 6,115
461.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$16.65 LKR 5,515
177.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$80.4 LKR 26.6K
24.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$41.98 LKR 13.9K
197.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Anuradhapura
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Anuradhapura
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
12.69
-69.66%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Anuradhapura: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Anuradhapura
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Anuradhapura
$237 13% $36
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Anuradhapura
$103 58.4% $145
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Anuradhapura
$84 61.1% $131
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Anuradhapura
$71 57.9% $98
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Anuradhapura
$8.8 * 86.5% $57
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Anuradhapura
$2.3 * 96.4% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon versus $25.00 in Anuradhapura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $237 – making Anuradhapura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇱🇰 Anuradhapura
🕒 Local time
09:10 9:10 AM
13:40 1:40 PM
4 h 30 min ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
63,200
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Anuradhapura 9,390 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Anuradhapura

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
Lisbon vs Anuradhapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lisbon and in Anuradhapura compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon, $506 in Anuradhapura – roughly 335% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Anuradhapura?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $759 in Anuradhapura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon and $25.00 in Anuradhapura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 15% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Anuradhapura, where all-in costs run around $506, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Anuradhapura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Anuradhapura?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $506 in Anuradhapura to $2,202 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Lisbon or Anuradhapura safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Anuradhapura?
If budget matters most, go with Anuradhapura. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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