Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kalutara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalutara: $608 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Kalutara, Sri Lanka
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Kalutara
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Kalutara

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 Kalutara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $608 in Kalutara.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Kalutara $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $888 in Kalutara.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Kalutara $888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,168 in Kalutara.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Kalutara $1,168

Living in Lisbon is roughly 263% more expensive than in Kalutara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Kalutara is 55% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Kalutara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$3.92 LKR 1,303
324.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$24.40 LKR 8,112
153.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$7.72 LKR 2,566
47.15%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$2.47 LKR 823
20.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$0.69 LKR 228
231.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.25 LKR 82.7
596.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$2.14 LKR 710
58.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$2.99 LKR 994
10.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Kalutara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.56 LKR 520
-25.64%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$0.53 LKR 175
260.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$0.81 LKR 269
86.42%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$1.69 LKR 561
137.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$13.98 LKR 4,649
-7.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$4.93 LKR 1,638
57.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$7.47 LKR 2,484
137.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$6.52 LKR 2,167
-64.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$0.87 LKR 288
98.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$4.44 LKR 1,475
-58.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$1.33 LKR 441
94.74%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.04 LKR 346
75.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$0.83 LKR 277
137.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.89 LKR 295
65.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.45 LKR 150
60.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$10.13 LKR 3,368
-35.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$12.77 LKR 4,246
-56.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.89 LKR 627
-28.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$2.99 LKR 993
-28.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Kalutara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$0.12 LKR 41.31
1841.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$9.12 LKR 3,031
389.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$0.38 LKR 125
913.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.18 LKR 61.2
494.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$0.86 LKR 285
1813.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.32 LKR 438
66.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$44.1K LKR 14.7M
-22.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$40.0K LKR 13.3M
-3.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Kalutara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$58.3 LKR 19.4K
176.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$4.20 LKR 1,396
338.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$20.29 LKR 6,747
61.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Kalutara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$9.14 LKR 3,040
387.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$4.48 LKR 1,489
114.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Kalutara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$37.10 LKR 12.3K
1699.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$1,220 LKR 405.6K
1343.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Kalutara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$18.31 LKR 6,088
457.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$16.57 LKR 5,510
168.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$77.7 LKR 25.8K
26.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$42.30 LKR 14.1K
192.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Kalutara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$85.6 LKR 28.4K
1290.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Kalutara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
-
-
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 Kalutara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Kalutara
$86 92.8% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Kalutara
$237 13.1% $36
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Kalutara
$105 56.9% $138
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Kalutara
$83 61% $130
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Kalutara
$70 58% $96
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Kalutara
$18 71.6% $46
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Kalutara
$11 82.7% $52

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $24 in Kalutara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $237 per month, with Kalutara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇱🇰 Kalutara
🕒 Local time
18:47 6:47 PM
00:17 12:17 AM
5 h 30 min ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
39,600
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Kalutara 9,470 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Kalutara

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 Kalutara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Kalutara?
Kalutara wins on cost – living expenses run 72% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lisbon and in Kalutara?
You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $913 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.
How expensive is transport in Lisbon compared to Kalutara?
A monthly transit pass in Kalutara runs roughly 80% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Lisbon and in Kalutara?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $37 in Kalutara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $800/month in Lisbon or in Kalutara?
At $608 in Kalutara versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $800 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lisbon or Kalutara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Kalutara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $608 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kalutara hard to pass up.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Kalutara?
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.

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