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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,243 per month in Lisbon vs $533 in Dambulla, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,315 per month in Lisbon vs $863 in Dambulla, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,387 per month in Lisbon vs $1,193 in Dambulla, rent included.

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

Lisbon sits 67% above the global median, while Dambulla is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$3.92 LKR 1,240

301.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$24.98 LKR 7,906

152.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$8.53 LKR 2,701

20.98%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$2.67 LKR 846

5.24%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.68 LKR 215

242.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.37 LKR 118

308.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.31 LKR 730

45.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.25 LKR 1,030

20.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.70 LKR 539

-36.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$0.56 LKR 178

212.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.87 LKR 275

101.15%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.20 LKR 696

40.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$14.12 LKR 4,470

-5.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$4.79 LKR 1,516

63.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$8.26 LKR 2,613

94.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$7.37 LKR 2,334

-67.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.07 LKR 339

60.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$5.82 LKR 1,841

-66.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.20 LKR 378

112.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.10 LKR 349

62.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.43 LKR 452

37.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.20 LKR 381

63.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.56 LKR 179

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$10.00 LKR 3,164

-31.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$12.45 LKR 3,939

-53.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.03 LKR 642

-32.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.98 LKR 942

-2.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.10 LKR 32.08

2190.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$0.38 LKR 122

984.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.33 LKR 104

145.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$0.60 LKR 191

3056.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.20 LKR 381

74.17%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$26.5K LKR 8.4M

32.74%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$35.1K LKR 11.1M

13.18%

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

$150 €128

$60.8 LKR 19.2K

146.11%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$4.27 LKR 1,350

379.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$14.86 LKR 4,703

163.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$3.28 LKR 1,037

180.49%

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

$624 €533

$37.36 LKR 11.8K

1571.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$446 LKR 141.2K

3465.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$27.46 LKR 8,691

272.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$19.70 LKR 6,234

107.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$70.6 LKR 22.3K

35.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$38.78 LKR 12.3K

212.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Dambulla: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,653 in Lisbon versus $0 in Dambulla. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Lisbon versus $25 in Dambulla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $270 vs $257 – 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: $2,243 in Lisbon, $533 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 $3,365 per month in Lisbon and $799 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 $533, than in Lisbon at $2,243. 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 $533 in Dambulla to $2,243 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.