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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $497 in Gampaha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $872 in Gampaha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,247 in Gampaha.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 361% more expensive than in Gampaha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Gampaha is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$1.72 LKR 577

841.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$25.50 LKR 8,569

148.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.05 LKR 1,697

104.36%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.13 LKR 715

32.86%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.69 LKR 231

231.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.38 LKR 127

315.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.21 LKR 743

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$1.64 LKR 552

145.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.78 LKR 597

-38.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.52 LKR 176

236.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.73 LKR 244

141.10%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.21 LKR 741

43.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$14.34 LKR 4,819

-8.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.38 LKR 1,470

81.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$7.94 LKR 2,667

95.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$6.63 LKR 2,226

-64.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.07 LKR 359

59.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$5.74 LKR 1,929

-64.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.25 LKR 421

94.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.07 LKR 358

64.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.38 LKR 464

47.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.31 LKR 105

519.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.36 LKR 120

136.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$10.14 LKR 3,407

-35.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$12.48 LKR 4,193

-55.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.54 LKR 517

-13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.64 LKR 889

12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.34 LKR 115

570.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.32 LKR 106

1221.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.35 LKR 118

131.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$0.58 LKR 195

3079.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.26 LKR 425

65.08%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$26.9K LKR 9.0M

28.93%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$34.7K LKR 11.7M

12.87%

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

$148 €130

$30.47 LKR 10.2K

385.89%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$3.31 LKR 1,111

518.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$12.24 LKR 4,112

223.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$8.51 LKR 2,861

463.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$3.40 LKR 1,144

171.18%

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

$616 €540

$16.81 LKR 5,649

3565.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$137 LKR 45.9K

11940.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$27.31 LKR 9,176

276.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$9.88 LKR 3,322

322.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$67.0 LKR 22.5K

41.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$26.60 LKR 8,939

358.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$98.9 LKR 33.2K

1550.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$62.9 LKR 21.2K

1857.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$333 LKR 112.1K

829.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$186 LKR 62.4K

994.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$219 LKR 73.5K

634.35%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Gampaha: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $98.9 in Gampaha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 634% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $26.00 in Gampaha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $242 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 361% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $497 including rent). Gampaha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 634% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $98.9 in Gampaha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $16.81 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 $26.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $497 in Gampaha versus $2,291 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 361% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.