Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Badulla Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Badulla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $548 in Badulla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $876 in Badulla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,204 in Badulla.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 323% more expensive than in Badulla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Badulla is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$4.37 LKR 1,435

295.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$26.22 LKR 8,602

141.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$7.56 LKR 2,481

50.66%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.45 LKR 803

30.20%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.69 LKR 226

255.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.27 LKR 88.7

551.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.18 LKR 716

64.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.98 LKR 977

13.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.57 LKR 516

-21.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.57 LKR 187

247.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.62 LKR 205

145.16%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$1.60 LKR 524

152.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$13.35 LKR 4,381

1.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$3.68 LKR 1,209

127.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$7.08 LKR 2,322

157.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$6.70 LKR 2,197

-65.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.82 LKR 270

112.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$4.16 LKR 1,363

-55.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.27 LKR 418

107.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.05 LKR 345

82.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.79 LKR 259

164.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.96 LKR 314

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.46 LKR 150

82.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$10.42 LKR 3,419

-34.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$13.53 LKR 4,440

-57.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.98 LKR 650

-30.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.78 LKR 911

-20.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.41 LKR 136

917.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.38 LKR 125

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$0.89 LKR 293

1886.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.29 LKR 425

79.84%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$30.5K LKR 10.0M

15.98%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$42.8K LKR 14.0M

-3.20%

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

$170 €147

$55.4 LKR 18.2K

207.40%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$4.06 LKR 1,331

376.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$21.17 LKR 6,946

58.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$4.38 LKR 1,436

126.48%

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

$717 €617

$38.42 LKR 12.6K

1767.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$1,242 LKR 407.3K

1307.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$20.33 LKR 6,670

415.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$17.08 LKR 5,602

174.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$79.4 LKR 26.0K

30.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$42.12 LKR 13.8K

194.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$75.1 LKR 24.7K

2131.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$46.61 LKR 15.3K

2626.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$90.5 LKR 29.7K

2100.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$4,608 LKR 1.5M

69.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$767 LKR 251.6K

507.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$233 LKR 76.3K

580.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

12.69

-70.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Badulla: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $75.1 in Badulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 581% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $26.00 in Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $228 per month, with Badulla 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

Lisbon vs Badulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 323% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 581% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $75.1 in Badulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $38.42 in Badulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $548 in Badulla versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Badulla is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Badulla 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 Badulla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 323% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.