Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dambulla Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dambulla

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,268 per month in Lisbon vs $509 in Dambulla, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,348 per month in Lisbon vs $838 in Dambulla, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,429 per month in Lisbon vs $1,168 in Dambulla, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 346% more than Dambulla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 64% above the global median, while Dambulla is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$4.37 LKR 1,436

301.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$25.85 LKR 8,495

149.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.79 LKR 2,561

49.55%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.49 LKR 818

30.92%

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

$0.27 LKR 88.8

518.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.16 LKR 711

60.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.96 LKR 973

20.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.56 LKR 512

-24.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.57 LKR 188

242.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.75 LKR 248

108.00%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.67 LKR 549

140.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$13.42 LKR 4,409

-1.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.13 LKR 1,687

64.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.09 LKR 2,329

157.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$6.63 LKR 2,178

-65.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.88 LKR 290

96.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$4.38 LKR 1,439

-55.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.23 LKR 404

114.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.01 LKR 333

88.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.77 LKR 253

174.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.89 LKR 293

61.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.45 LKR 148

77.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$10.36 LKR 3,404

-32.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$13.55 LKR 4,451

-56.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.00 LKR 656

-32.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.78 LKR 913

-22.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.10 LKR 32.56

2280.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.38 LKR 126

1002.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.35 LKR 116

214.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$0.88 LKR 289

1861.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.35 LKR 443

66.67%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$29.9K LKR 9.8M

15.10%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$42.7K LKR 14.0M

-2.44%

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

$171 €147

$56.2 LKR 18.5K

204.27%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$4.28 LKR 1,408

344.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$21.00 LKR 6,900

63.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.45 LKR 1,462

126.97%

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

$699 €603

$37.74 LKR 12.4K

1752.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$1,221 LKR 401.1K

1355.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$19.87 LKR 6,530

426.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$16.88 LKR 5,548

184.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$80.4 LKR 26.4K

26.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$42.69 LKR 14.0K

200.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

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 Dambulla: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Lisbon versus $26.00 in Dambulla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $236 – making Dambulla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Dambulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon, $509 in Dambulla – roughly 346% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,402 per month in Lisbon and $763 in Dambulla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Lisbon and $26.00 in Dambulla. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dambulla, where all-in costs run around $509, than in Lisbon at $2,268. In Dambulla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $509 in Dambulla to $2,268 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Dambulla. 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.