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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $789 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,200 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,610 in Colombo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 187% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Colombo is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$4.38 LKR 1,440

300.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$25.76 LKR 8,464

150.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.60 LKR 2,499

53.29%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.45 LKR 804

33.06%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.74 LKR 243

236.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.25 LKR 81.4

568.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.24 LKR 737

54.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.98 LKR 979

20.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.58 LKR 520

-25.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.52 LKR 172

275.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.81 LKR 267

92.59%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.64 LKR 539

144.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$13.18 LKR 4,332

0.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.06 LKR 1,663

66.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.14 LKR 2,347

155.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$6.69 LKR 2,198

-65.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.88 LKR 288

96.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$4.35 LKR 1,429

-55.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.29 LKR 425

104.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.00 LKR 330

90.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.80 LKR 263

163.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.94 LKR 310

53.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.49 LKR 162

63.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$10.36 LKR 3,403

-32.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$13.67 LKR 4,492

-56.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.96 LKR 646

-30.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.89 LKR 948

-25.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.17 LKR 57.2

1300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$7.29 LKR 2,397

534.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.39 LKR 127

974.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.39 LKR 127

182.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$0.95 LKR 312

1716.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.34 LKR 439

67.91%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$30.0K LKR 9.9M

14.86%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$42.5K LKR 14.0M

-2.09%

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

$171 €147

$55.4 LKR 18.2K

208.73%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$4.06 LKR 1,333

368.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$20.56 LKR 6,755

66.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$14.69 LKR 4,827

237.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$5.92 LKR 1,947

229.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.43 LKR 1,456

127.99%

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

$699 €603

$38.87 LKR 12.8K

1698.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$1,212 LKR 398.2K

1366.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$20.17 LKR 6,626

418.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$16.47 LKR 5,411

191.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$80.9 LKR 26.6K

25.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$43.13 LKR 14.2K

197.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$554 LKR 182.2K

199.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$251 LKR 82.3K

390.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,581 LKR 519.5K

84.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$410 LKR 134.7K

393.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$3,725 LKR 1.2M

118.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,211 LKR 397.9K

282.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$252 LKR 82.7K

543.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

12.69

-70.21%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Colombo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $554 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 544% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $26.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $237 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 187% 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.

Average pay runs 544% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $554 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% 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 $26.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $789 in Colombo versus $2,268 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 $789 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 187% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.