Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Galle Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Galle

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $499 in Galle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $896 in Galle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,294 in Galle.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 343% more expensive than Galle, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Galle is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$2.98 LKR 993

433.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$25.15 LKR 8,387

157.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$8.01 LKR 2,671

31.21%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.61 LKR 871

9.96%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.73 LKR 244

206.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.41 LKR 136

265.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.37 LKR 790

47.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.95 LKR 984

31.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.70 LKR 566

-32.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.32 LKR 105

446.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.81 LKR 270

117.28%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.91 LKR 638

68.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$14.27 LKR 4,757

-5.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.65 LKR 1,549

70.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$8.15 LKR 2,719

94.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$7.40 LKR 2,469

-68.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.88 LKR 294

93.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$5.68 LKR 1,894

-64.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.20 LKR 401

105.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.10 LKR 367

67.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.41 LKR 471

41.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.14 LKR 379

69.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.42 LKR 140

88.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$10.13 LKR 3,380

-34.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$8.86 LKR 2,956

-35.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.04 LKR 679

-32.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.83 LKR 944

4.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.15 LKR 50.9

1480.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.35 LKR 115

1125.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.35 LKR 117

134.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$0.57 LKR 189

3110.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.21 LKR 405

70.25%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.8K LKR 8.9M

28.05%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$34.9K LKR 11.6M

12.69%

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

$148 €127

$59.1 LKR 19.7K

150.33%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$4.39 LKR 1,465

367.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$13.26 LKR 4,423

198.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$3.37 LKR 1,125

172.40%

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

$614 €529

$36.67 LKR 12.2K

1574.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$446 LKR 148.6K

3500.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$27.69 LKR 9,235

277.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$19.46 LKR 6,490

116.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$68.1 LKR 22.7K

37.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$39.15 LKR 13.1K

205.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$196 LKR 65.3K

1447.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$151 LKR 50.3K

1240.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$306 LKR 102.1K

423.58%

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 1, 2026

Last update for Galle: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Lisbon pays 424% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Galle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $242 per month, with Galle 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 Galle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Galle is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 343% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 424% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $36.67 in Galle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Galle – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $499 in Galle versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Galle but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Galle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Galle is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Galle 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 Galle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 343% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.