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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,263 per month in Lisbon vs $537 in Dambulla, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,315 per month in Lisbon vs $876 in Dambulla, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,368 per month in Lisbon vs $1,216 in Dambulla, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 321% more than Dambulla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 68% above the global median, while Dambulla is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$3.90 LKR 1,315

308.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$24.89 LKR 8,388

154.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$8.24 LKR 2,777

25.97%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$2.66 LKR 897

4.89%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$0.72 LKR 244

225.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$0.41 LKR 138

282.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$2.38 LKR 801

44.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$3.27 LKR 1,102

19.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.70 LKR 572

-36.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$0.53 LKR 178

233.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$0.85 LKR 287

101.18%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$2.14 LKR 722

47.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$13.87 LKR 4,676

-1.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$4.72 LKR 1,592

69.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$8.09 LKR 2,725

91.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$7.51 LKR 2,532

-69.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.06 LKR 358

54.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$5.69 LKR 1,919

-65.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$1.25 LKR 420

100.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.10 LKR 371

62.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.43 LKR 481

40.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.15 LKR 389

71.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.56 LKR 188

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$9.91 LKR 3,339

-31.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$12.48 LKR 4,206

-54.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.04 LKR 686

-31.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$2.96 LKR 996

2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.10 LKR 34.62

2170.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$0.38 LKR 128

1028.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.35 LKR 119

142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$0.61 LKR 207

2896.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.22 LKR 410

63.11%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$26.4K LKR 8.9M

32.61%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$34.3K LKR 11.6M

15.36%

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

$146 €127

$60.4 LKR 20.3K

142.22%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$4.35 LKR 1,465

370.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$14.92 LKR 5,027

161.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$3.29 LKR 1,108

189.36%

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

$608 €527

$36.67 LKR 12.4K

1558.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$449 LKR 151.4K

3574.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$27.51 LKR 9,272

277.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$19.71 LKR 6,643

113.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$70.7 LKR 23.8K

30.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$39.24 LKR 13.2K

205.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

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 8, 2026

Last update for Dambulla: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon versus $25.00 in Dambulla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $255 – 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: $2,263 in Lisbon, $537 in Dambulla – roughly 321% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,394 per month in Lisbon and $806 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 $63.0 in Lisbon and $25.00 in Dambulla. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% 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 $537, than in Lisbon at $2,263. 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 $537 in Dambulla to $2,263 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.