Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hikkaduwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $505 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Hikkaduwa
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$505
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Hikkaduwa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Hikkaduwa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $505 in Hikkaduwa.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Hikkaduwa $505

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $820 in Hikkaduwa.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Hikkaduwa $820

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,134 in Hikkaduwa.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Hikkaduwa $1,134

Living in Lisbon is roughly 338% more expensive than in Hikkaduwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Hikkaduwa is 63% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Hikkaduwa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$3.87 LKR 1,287
330.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$25.21 LKR 8,384
144.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$7.67 LKR 2,551
48.11%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$2.48 LKR 826
19.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$0.67 LKR 223
241.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.25 LKR 82.3
596.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$2.21 LKR 736
53.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$3.03 LKR 1,008
9.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Hikkaduwa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.63 LKR 543
-28.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$0.53 LKR 177
260.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$0.76 LKR 253
98.68%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$1.64 LKR 544
145.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$13.51 LKR 4,493
-4.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$4.95 LKR 1,648
56.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$7.25 LKR 2,410
144.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$6.58 LKR 2,188
-65.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$0.86 LKR 287
101.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$4.50 LKR 1,497
-58.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$1.27 LKR 423
103.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.00 LKR 334
82.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$0.79 LKR 263
149.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.87 LKR 289
68.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.46 LKR 152
56.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$10.16 LKR 3,378
-35.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$12.67 LKR 4,212
-55.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.88 LKR 624
-27.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$3.06 LKR 1,019
-30.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Hikkaduwa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$0.37 LKR 124
940.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.38 LKR 125
181.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$0.96 LKR 318
1614.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.39 LKR 463
58.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$44.4K LKR 14.8M
-22.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$40.1K LKR 13.3M
-3.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Hikkaduwa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$58.5 LKR 19.5K
175.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$4.30 LKR 1,428
328.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$20.97 LKR 6,974
56.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Hikkaduwa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$4.58 LKR 1,525
109.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Hikkaduwa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$37.54 LKR 12.5K
1678.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$1,195 LKR 397.5K
1373.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Hikkaduwa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$17.81 LKR 5,924
472.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$16.65 LKR 5,536
167.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$79.4 LKR 26.4K
24.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$41.17 LKR 13.7K
200.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Hikkaduwa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Hikkaduwa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
12.69
-69.66%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Hikkaduwa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Hikkaduwa
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Hikkaduwa
$235 13.7% $37
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Hikkaduwa
$105 56.9% $138
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Hikkaduwa
$84 60.5% $129
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Hikkaduwa
$70 58% $96
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Hikkaduwa
$9.2 * 85.6% $55
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Hikkaduwa
$2.3 * 96.4% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $25 in Hikkaduwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $235 per month, with Hikkaduwa cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa
🕒 Local time
02:31 2:31 AM
08:01 8:01 AM
5 h 30 min ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
101,342
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Hikkaduwa 9,520 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Hikkaduwa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Hikkaduwa cheaper than Lisbon?
Hikkaduwa is about 77% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $757 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.
How do food prices compare in Lisbon and in Hikkaduwa?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Lisbon and in Hikkaduwa?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $505 in Hikkaduwa – Hikkaduwa is about 77% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Lisbon or in Hikkaduwa?
At $505 in Hikkaduwa versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 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.
Is it better to live in Lisbon or in Hikkaduwa?
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.

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