Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kalutara Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kalutara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $610 in Kalutara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $898 in Kalutara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,186 in Kalutara.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Kalutara is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$4.38 LKR 1,438

294.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$25.47 LKR 8,357

148.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$7.46 LKR 2,449

52.68%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.57 LKR 844

24.12%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.69 LKR 226

255.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.25 LKR 81.5

604.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.24 LKR 734

60.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.04 LKR 996

11.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.65 LKR 540

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.57 LKR 186

247.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.79 LKR 260

92.41%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$1.65 LKR 540

144.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$13.12 LKR 4,304

3.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$5.03 LKR 1,649

66.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$7.23 LKR 2,372

152.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$6.89 LKR 2,260

-66.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.89 LKR 292

95.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$4.35 LKR 1,427

-57.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.22 LKR 401

115.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.05 LKR 343

82.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.80 LKR 264

161.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.95 LKR 311

51.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.48 LKR 158

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$10.32 LKR 3,387

-34.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$13.69 LKR 4,491

-58.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.89 LKR 619

-26.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.88 LKR 946

-22.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.13 LKR 41.87

1746.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$9.34 LKR 3,065

400.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.39 LKR 126

969.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.20 LKR 67.0

470.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$0.95 LKR 310

1761.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.30 LKR 426

78.46%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$30.7K LKR 10.1M

15.13%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$42.4K LKR 13.9M

-2.33%

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

$170 €147

$55.7 LKR 18.3K

206.02%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$4.23 LKR 1,387

357.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$20.58 LKR 6,753

63.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$8.96 LKR 2,939

436.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$4.40 LKR 1,445

125.45%

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

$717 €617

$38.44 LKR 12.6K

1766.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$1,224 LKR 401.7K

1327.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$19.89 LKR 6,525

426.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$16.49 LKR 5,409

184.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$78.4 LKR 25.7K

31.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$41.91 LKR 13.7K

195.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$84.4 LKR 27.7K

1405.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

12.69

-70.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kalutara: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Kalutara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $238 per month, with Kalutara 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 Kalutara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalutara wins on cost – living expenses run 280% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kalutara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Lisbon and $914 in Kalutara 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.

A monthly transit pass in Kalutara runs roughly 401% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $38.44 in Kalutara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $610 in Kalutara versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kalutara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kalutara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kalutara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $610 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kalutara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Kalutara 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 Kalutara 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.