Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $710 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $1,161 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $1,612 in Colombo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 218% more expensive than Colombo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Colombo is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$3.93 LKR 1,242

302.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$24.89 LKR 7,861

158.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$8.60 LKR 2,717

20.58%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$2.63 LKR 831

9.89%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$0.69 LKR 219

223.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$0.40 LKR 127

287.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$2.27 LKR 718

48.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$3.38 LKR 1,067

15.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.77 LKR 560

-36.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$0.57 LKR 179

215.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$0.83 LKR 262

110.84%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$2.12 LKR 669

49.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$13.85 LKR 4,375

-2.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$4.64 LKR 1,464

67.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$7.98 LKR 2,519

96.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$7.39 LKR 2,333

-69.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.12 LKR 354

52.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$5.65 LKR 1,785

-65.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$1.21 LKR 381

108.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$1.15 LKR 362

55.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$1.41 LKR 444

45.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$1.18 LKR 374

64.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.61 LKR 191

32.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$10.19 LKR 3,217

-34.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$12.87 LKR 4,065

-55.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.08 LKR 656

-36.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$2.93 LKR 926

-0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$0.19 LKR 58.7

1136.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

$4.93 LKR 1,557

826.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$0.38 LKR 121

1005.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.35 LKR 112

131.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$0.61 LKR 194

2965.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.22 LKR 385

71.31%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$26.8K LKR 8.5M

28.91%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$34.6K LKR 10.9M

14.54%

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

$146 €124

$60.1 LKR 19.0K

142.84%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$4.36 LKR 1,377

377.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$15.10 LKR 4,768

163.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$14.30 LKR 4,518

239.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

$7.38 LKR 2,332

155.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$3.34 LKR 1,054

171.56%

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

$618 €526

$36.76 LKR 11.6K

1580.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$445 LKR 140.7K

3528.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$27.84 LKR 8,792

275.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$19.75 LKR 6,238

105.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$68.3 LKR 21.6K

37.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$38.76 LKR 12.2K

216.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$378 LKR 119.4K

324.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$175 LKR 55.3K

620.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$969 LKR 305.9K

216.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$366 LKR 115.6K

448.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

$3,718 LKR 1.2M

107.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

$1,230 LKR 388.4K

255.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

$242 LKR 76.4K

576.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

16.45

-76.84%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Colombo: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $378 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 577% 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: $64 in Lisbon vs $25 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $256 per month, with Colombo 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 Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 218% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lisbon pays 577% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $378 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Colombo – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $710 in Colombo versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Colombo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $710 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Colombo 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 Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 218% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.