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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $533 in Kalutara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $869 in Kalutara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,206 in Kalutara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 315% more expensive than Kalutara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Kalutara is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$3.90 LKR 1,293

307.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$24.66 LKR 8,178

162.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.30 LKR 2,753

26.63%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.74 LKR 910

4.74%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.69 LKR 230

224.64%

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

$2.28 LKR 757

53.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.29 LKR 1,091

17.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.79 LKR 593

-36.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.52 LKR 173

236.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.81 LKR 270

117.28%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.14 LKR 709

50.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$14.15 LKR 4,692

-4.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.77 LKR 1,582

65.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.85 LKR 2,603

102.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$7.37 LKR 2,444

-68.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.07 LKR 356

58.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$5.92 LKR 1,963

-66.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.26 LKR 418

95.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.10 LKR 366

67.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.43 LKR 474

39.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.20 LKR 397

60.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.57 LKR 189

38.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$9.91 LKR 3,287

-33.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$12.60 LKR 4,178

-54.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.00 LKR 663

-31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.94 LKR 975

1.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.41 LKR 136

946.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.35 LKR 117

134.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$0.58 LKR 191

3055.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.26 LKR 417

63.49%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.6K LKR 8.8M

28.72%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$35.2K LKR 11.7M

11.74%

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

$148 €127

$59.2 LKR 19.6K

149.82%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$4.41 LKR 1,463

365.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$15.11 LKR 5,009

162.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$9.94 LKR 3,294

381.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.25 LKR 1,079

182.46%

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

$614 €528

$37.46 LKR 12.4K

1538.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$441 LKR 146.1K

3542.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$27.58 LKR 9,147

279.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$19.16 LKR 6,353

119.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$70.0 LKR 23.2K

34.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$39.27 LKR 13.0K

204.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

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

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kalutara: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Kalutara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $257 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 315% 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 $3,315 in Lisbon and $800 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.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $37.46 in Kalutara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kalutara – 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 $533 in Kalutara versus $2,210 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 $533 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 315% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.