Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dambulla

For one person, living is cheaper in Dambulla: $505 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Dambulla, Sri Lanka
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Dambulla
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$505
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Dambulla

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Dambulla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $505 in Dambulla, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Dambulla $505

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $818 in Dambulla, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Dambulla $818

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $1,131 in Dambulla, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Dambulla $1,131

Lisbon costs about 338% more than Dambulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Dambulla is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Dambulla
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$3.85 LKR 1,281
332.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$25.00 LKR 8,311
146.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$7.66 LKR 2,546
48.30%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$2.47 LKR 821
20.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$0.67 LKR 224
241.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.27 LKR 89.9
544.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$2.27 LKR 753
49.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$2.93 LKR 975
12.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Dambulla
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.63 LKR 543
-28.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$0.56 LKR 188
241.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$0.77 LKR 254
96.10%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$1.63 LKR 542
146.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$13.55 LKR 4,504
-4.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$4.92 LKR 1,635
57.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$7.30 LKR 2,428
143.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$6.47 LKR 2,152
-64.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$0.87 LKR 289
98.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$4.33 LKR 1,441
-57.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$1.32 LKR 440
96.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.01 LKR 336
80.20%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$0.79 LKR 262
149.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.87 LKR 289
68.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.43 LKR 142
67.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$10.35 LKR 3,440
-36.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$12.67 LKR 4,214
-55.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.89 LKR 627
-28.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$2.93 LKR 974
-26.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Dambulla
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$0.07 LKR 23.76
3228.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$0.38 LKR 126
913.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.38 LKR 125
181.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$0.87 LKR 289
1791.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.37 LKR 456
60.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$43.7K LKR 14.5M
-21.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$41.0K LKR 13.6M
-5.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Dambulla
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$59.8 LKR 19.9K
169.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$4.30 LKR 1,431
328.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$20.98 LKR 6,976
56.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Dambulla
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$4.57 LKR 1,520
110.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Dambulla
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$37.27 LKR 12.4K
1691.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$1,199 LKR 398.5K
1369.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Dambulla
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$18.35 LKR 6,102
455.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$16.43 LKR 5,462
170.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$78.1 LKR 26.0K
26.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$41.03 LKR 13.6K
201.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Dambulla
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Dambulla
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
12.69
-69.66%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Dambulla: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Dambulla
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Dambulla
$234 14% $38
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Dambulla
$104 57% $138
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Dambulla
$85 60% $127
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Dambulla
$69 58.3% $97
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Dambulla
$9.2 * 85.6% $55
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Dambulla
$2.5 * 96% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $25 in Dambulla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $234 – making Dambulla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇱🇰 Dambulla
🕒 Local time
18:39 6:39 PM
00:09 12:09 AM
5 h 30 min ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
68,800
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Dambulla 9,440 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Dambulla

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
How do living costs in Lisbon and in Dambulla compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $505 in Dambulla – roughly 338% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Dambulla?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $757 in Dambulla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $25 in Dambulla. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Dambulla, where all-in costs run around $505, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Dambulla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Dambulla?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $505 in Dambulla to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Lisbon or Dambulla safer for residents?
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.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

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