Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kandy Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kandy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $549 in Kandy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $862 in Kandy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,175 in Kandy.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 308% more expensive than Kandy, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Kandy is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$2.77 LKR 877

467.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$11.69 LKR 3,700

440.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$6.60 LKR 2,087

56.36%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$2.61 LKR 825

7.66%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.61 LKR 193

281.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.30 LKR 94.5

403.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.12 LKR 670

58.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.37 LKR 1,067

16.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.45 LKR 458

-25.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$0.56 LKR 177

212.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.87 LKR 275

101.15%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.13 LKR 674

45.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$8.95 LKR 2,832

48.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$4.77 LKR 1,511

64.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$8.12 LKR 2,570

97.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$4.64 LKR 1,467

-48.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.02 LKR 324

68.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$3.63 LKR 1,150

-45.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.26 LKR 398

102.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.14 LKR 362

57.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.23 LKR 390

60.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.77 LKR 245

154.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.56 LKR 177

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$9.25 LKR 2,928

-26.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$12.05 LKR 3,814

-51.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.06 LKR 652

-33.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.71 LKR 858

7.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.17 LKR 55.3

1247.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$15.20 LKR 4,810

208.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$0.42 LKR 132

880.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.35 LKR 111

131.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$0.40 LKR 128

4635.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.21 LKR 384

72.73%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$17.7K LKR 5.6M

98.66%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$21.2K LKR 6.7M

87.72%

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

$150 €128

$40.48 LKR 12.8K

269.47%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$4.27 LKR 1,353

379.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$14.97 LKR 4,737

161.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$15.12 LKR 4,784

228.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$5.82 LKR 1,841

217.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$3.40 LKR 1,077

170.59%

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

$624 €533

$36.64 LKR 11.6K

1604.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$321 LKR 101.5K

4861.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$27.83 LKR 8,808

267.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$14.44 LKR 4,569

183.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$57.1 LKR 18.1K

67.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$29.77 LKR 9,423

306.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$132 LKR 41.9K

1149.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$85.3 LKR 27.0K

1344.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$221 LKR 69.8K

1280.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$161 LKR 51.0K

1178.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$428 LKR 135.3K

1742.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$417 LKR 132.0K

931.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$277 LKR 87.6K

465.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-74.60%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Kandy: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $132 in Kandy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 466% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $12 in Kandy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $213 per month, with Kandy 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 Kandy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kandy is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 308% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 466% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $132 in Kandy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,243 per month in Lisbon versus $549 in Kandy – a 308% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kandy runs roughly 208% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $549 in Kandy versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kandy but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kandy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kandy is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Kandy 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 Kandy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 308% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.