Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hikkaduwa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hikkaduwa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $600 in Hikkaduwa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,137 in Hikkaduwa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,674 in Hikkaduwa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 280% more expensive than in Hikkaduwa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Hikkaduwa is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$3.92 LKR 1,317

301.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$25.14 LKR 8,436

152.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$8.41 LKR 2,821

24.26%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.60 LKR 872

11.92%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.69 LKR 231

231.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.34 LKR 115

341.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.31 LKR 775

54.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.34 LKR 1,120

18.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.68 LKR 564

-35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.52 LKR 176

238.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.88 LKR 294

93.18%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.23 LKR 748

45.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$14.13 LKR 4,741

-6.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$4.77 LKR 1,601

61.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$8.02 LKR 2,691

96.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$7.54 LKR 2,530

-69.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.31 LKR 106

435.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.63 LKR 881

-23.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.03 LKR 344

139.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.12 LKR 374

59.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.35 LKR 118

491.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.16 LKR 388

69.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.55 LKR 186

50.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$10.16 LKR 3,408

-35.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$12.80 LKR 4,295

-56.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.10 LKR 704

-36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.94 LKR 986

2.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.35 LKR 116

548.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.39 LKR 129

984.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.33 LKR 111

157.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$0.58 LKR 193

3146.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.26 LKR 424

60.32%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$26.9K LKR 9.0M

29.78%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$34.8K LKR 11.7M

13.77%

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

$148 €128

$61.2 LKR 20.5K

141.56%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$4.37 LKR 1,466

369.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$14.86 LKR 4,987

165.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$3.32 LKR 1,114

174.10%

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

$615 €532

$37.10 LKR 12.4K

1557.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$448 LKR 150.3K

3534.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$27.21 LKR 9,132

273.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$19.77 LKR 6,632

112.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$68.3 LKR 22.9K

35.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$38.63 LKR 13.0K

216.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$170 LKR 57.1K

847.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$82.3 LKR 27.6K

1424.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,688 LKR 566.5K

81.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$505 LKR 169.4K

303.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hikkaduwa: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $170 in Hikkaduwa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Hikkaduwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $237 per month, with Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hikkaduwa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 280% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $900 in Hikkaduwa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $170 in Hikkaduwa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $600 in Hikkaduwa – a 280% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $600 in Hikkaduwa versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hikkaduwa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Hikkaduwa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 280% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.