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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $544 in Kalutara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $874 in Kalutara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,203 in Kalutara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 321% more expensive than in Kalutara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Kalutara is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$3.93 LKR 1,320

311.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$25.56 LKR 8,586

147.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.26 LKR 2,775

24.94%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.71 LKR 910

4.43%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.73 LKR 246

213.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.41 LKR 137

285.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.36 LKR 794

44.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.44 LKR 1,155

17.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.72 LKR 578

-36.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.51 LKR 173

243.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.87 LKR 293

102.30%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.19 LKR 734

44.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$13.86 LKR 4,656

-4.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$4.73 LKR 1,591

68.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$7.93 LKR 2,664

95.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$7.66 LKR 2,575

-69.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.11 LKR 373

54.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$5.83 LKR 1,957

-65.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.22 LKR 408

99.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.14 LKR 384

54.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.38 LKR 464

47.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.14 LKR 383

68.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.57 LKR 191

49.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$10.08 LKR 3,386

-34.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$12.68 LKR 4,260

-55.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.09 LKR 701

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.85 LKR 958

4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.42 LKR 141

907.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.35 LKR 119

131.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$0.57 LKR 190

3135.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.21 LKR 407

71.90%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

29.22%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$34.2K LKR 11.5M

14.43%

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

$148 €130

$59.1 LKR 19.8K

150.72%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$4.43 LKR 1,489

361.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$14.99 LKR 5,036

163.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$9.93 LKR 3,337

383.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$3.37 LKR 1,131

173.59%

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

$616 €539

$36.12 LKR 12.1K

1605.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$436 LKR 146.6K

3667.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$27.88 LKR 9,368

268.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$19.76 LKR 6,638

111.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$70.2 LKR 23.6K

34.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$39.30 LKR 13.2K

210.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

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 14, 2026

Last update for Kalutara: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $26.00 in Kalutara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 321% 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 $3,437 in Lisbon and $816 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 $616 in Lisbon versus $36.12 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 $26.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $544 in Kalutara versus $2,291 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 $544 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 321% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.