Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kataragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Kataragama: $508 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Kataragama, Sri Lanka
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Kataragama
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$508
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Kataragama

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $508 in Kataragama, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Kataragama $508

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $822 in Kataragama, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Kataragama $822

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $1,137 in Kataragama, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Kataragama $1,137

Lisbon costs about 335% more than Kataragama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Kataragama is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Kataragama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$3.90 LKR 1,296
326.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$24.62 LKR 8,184
150.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$7.73 LKR 2,569
46.96%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$2.56 LKR 852
16.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$0.67 LKR 222
241.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.25 LKR 82.5
596.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$2.17 LKR 721
56.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$3.00 LKR 997
10.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Kataragama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.64 LKR 544
-29.27%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$0.53 LKR 175
260.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$0.75 LKR 249
101.33%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$1.71 LKR 569
135.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$13.75 LKR 4,572
-5.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$4.94 LKR 1,642
57.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$7.46 LKR 2,480
138.07%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$6.67 LKR 2,218
-65.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$0.86 LKR 287
101.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$4.27 LKR 1,419
-56.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$1.32 LKR 438
96.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.00 LKR 332
82.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$0.82 LKR 272
140.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.94 LKR 314
56.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.42 LKR 140
71.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$10.35 LKR 3,441
-36.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$13.09 LKR 4,351
-57.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.98 LKR 658
-31.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$3.05 LKR 1,015
-29.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Kataragama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$0.37 LKR 124
940.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.37 LKR 123
189.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$0.89 LKR 296
1749.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.39 LKR 462
58.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$44.4K LKR 14.8M
-23.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$41.0K LKR 13.6M
-5.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Kataragama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$58.6 LKR 19.5K
174.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$4.16 LKR 1,384
342.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$20.92 LKR 6,956
56.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Kataragama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$4.51 LKR 1,499
112.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Kataragama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$37.64 LKR 12.5K
1673.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$1,206 LKR 400.8K
1361.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Kataragama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$17.76 LKR 5,904
474.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$16.55 LKR 5,504
168.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$78.5 LKR 26.1K
25.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$41.44 LKR 13.8K
198.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Kataragama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
-
-
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
Kataragama
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 Kataragama: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Kataragama
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Kataragama
$238 12.7% $35
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Kataragama
$106 56.5% $137
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Kataragama
$84 60.6% $129
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Kataragama
$69 58.1% $96
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Kataragama
$9 * 85.8% $55
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Kataragama
$2.2 * 96.5% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $25 in Kataragama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $238 – making Kataragama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇱🇰 Kataragama
🕒 Local time
22:54 10:54 PM
04:24 4:24 AM
5 h 30 min ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
20,000
💱 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 Kataragama 9,600 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Kataragama

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 Kataragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Kataragama?
Lisbon costs about 335% more than Kataragama, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lisbon and in Kataragama?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $761 in Kataragama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Lisbon compared to Kataragama?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $508 in Kataragama. That makes Kataragama about 77% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Lisbon and in Kataragama?
Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $38 in Kataragama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Lisbon or in Kataragama?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kataragama, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Kataragama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Lisbon or Kataragama?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $508 in Kataragama to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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