Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Gampaha Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Gampaha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $495 in Gampaha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $868 in Gampaha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,241 in Gampaha.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 346% more expensive than Gampaha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$1.63 LKR 539

876.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$25.26 LKR 8,374

156.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.08 LKR 1,683

106.89%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.22 LKR 735

29.28%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.70 LKR 232

220.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.37 LKR 124

305.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.13 LKR 706

63.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.64 LKR 545

136.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.73 LKR 573

-34.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.52 LKR 173

236.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.73 LKR 244

141.10%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.21 LKR 733

45.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$14.25 LKR 4,724

-5.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.46 LKR 1,478

77.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.93 LKR 2,631

100.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$6.80 LKR 2,254

-66.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.07 LKR 354

58.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$5.67 LKR 1,881

-64.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.25 LKR 414

96.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.07 LKR 354

71.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.34 LKR 445

49.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.35 LKR 115

451.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.38 LKR 126

107.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$10.00 LKR 3,314

-33.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$13.06 LKR 4,332

-56.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.53 LKR 508

-10.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.66 LKR 883

11.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.31 LKR 104

664.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.32 LKR 106

1240.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.32 LKR 107

156.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$0.58 LKR 192

3055.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.21 LKR 402

70.25%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$27.1K LKR 9.0M

26.65%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$34.3K LKR 11.4M

14.72%

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

$148 €127

$29.59 LKR 9,812

399.73%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$3.41 LKR 1,131

501.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$12.33 LKR 4,087

221.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$8.60 LKR 2,850

456.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.39 LKR 1,124

170.80%

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

$614 €528

$16.54 LKR 5,484

3611.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$136 LKR 45.2K

11664.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$28.10 LKR 9,317

272.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$10.08 LKR 3,343

317.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$67.9 LKR 22.5K

38.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$27.03 LKR 8,963

342.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$98.5 LKR 32.7K

1552.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$61.5 LKR 20.4K

1941.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$341 LKR 113.1K

788.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$187 LKR 61.8K

983.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$223 LKR 74.1K

617.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-61.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Gampaha: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $98.5 in Gampaha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 618% 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 Gampaha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $243 per month, with Gampaha 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 Gampaha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Gampaha differ by about 346% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $495 including rent). Gampaha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 618% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $98.5 in Gampaha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $16.54 in Gampaha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gampaha – 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 $495 in Gampaha versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gampaha but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Gampaha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Gampaha 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 Gampaha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 346% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.