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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $717 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,166 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,615 in Colombo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 208% more expensive than Colombo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Colombo is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$4.13 LKR 1,381

285.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$25.16 LKR 8,420

157.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$8.20 LKR 2,744

28.17%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.66 LKR 890

7.89%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.68 LKR 226

229.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.41 LKR 136

265.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.39 LKR 800

46.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.43 LKR 1,146

13.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.73 LKR 579

-34.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.53 LKR 176

230.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.83 LKR 276

112.05%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.23 LKR 746

44.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$14.02 LKR 4,690

-3.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.65 LKR 1,557

70.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$8.01 LKR 2,681

98.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$7.37 LKR 2,466

-68.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.12 LKR 375

51.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$5.83 LKR 1,952

-65.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.25 LKR 417

96.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.14 LKR 382

61.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.42 LKR 475

40.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.14 LKR 382

69.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.59 LKR 198

33.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$10.01 LKR 3,351

-33.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$12.73 LKR 4,259

-55.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.11 LKR 706

-35.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.97 LKR 994

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.14 LKR 48.45

1592.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$5.09 LKR 1,702

795.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.38 LKR 129

1028.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.33 LKR 110

148.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$0.60 LKR 201

2950.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.26 LKR 420

63.49%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

28.05%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$35.2K LKR 11.8M

11.73%

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

$148 €127

$60.5 LKR 20.2K

144.41%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$4.27 LKR 1,429

380.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$15.34 LKR 5,133

158.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$14.79 LKR 4,948

223.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$7.11 LKR 2,380

166.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$3.28 LKR 1,096

179.88%

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

$614 €529

$37.28 LKR 12.5K

1546.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$444 LKR 148.5K

3516.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$27.15 LKR 9,084

285.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$19.13 LKR 6,402

119.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$70.7 LKR 23.7K

32.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$38.24 LKR 12.8K

212.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$379 LKR 126.9K

329.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$178 LKR 59.6K

605.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$937 LKR 313.6K

223.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$361 LKR 120.7K

460.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$3,724 LKR 1.2M

109.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$1,189 LKR 397.7K

259.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$247 LKR 82.8K

547.94%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Colombo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $379 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 548% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $257 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 208% 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 548% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $379 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 $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $717 in Colombo versus $2,210 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 $717 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 208% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.