Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kegalle Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kegalle

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $527 in Kegalle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $862 in Kegalle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,196 in Kegalle.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 334% more expensive than in Kegalle, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Kegalle is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$3.95 LKR 1,328

309.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$25.37 LKR 8,526

149.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$8.62 LKR 2,896

19.72%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.76 LKR 928

2.54%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.70 LKR 235

227.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.37 LKR 125

327.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.39 LKR 802

42.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.38 LKR 1,136

19.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.79 LKR 602

-39.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.55 LKR 186

218.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.87 LKR 292

102.30%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.22 LKR 746

42.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$14.33 LKR 4,815

-7.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.58 LKR 1,540

74.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$8.17 LKR 2,745

90.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$7.51 LKR 2,525

-68.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.11 LKR 374

54.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$5.68 LKR 1,910

-64.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.20 LKR 404

102.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.15 LKR 387

53.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.42 LKR 478

42.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.20 LKR 402

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.60 LKR 201

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$10.22 LKR 3,435

-35.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$12.41 LKR 4,171

-55.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.03 LKR 683

-34.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.98 LKR 1,002

-0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.38 LKR 129

1013.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.35 LKR 118

131.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$0.61 LKR 207

2922.95%

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 €30.4K

$26.9K LKR 9.0M

28.90%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$35.3K LKR 11.9M

10.81%

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

$148 €130

$59.9 LKR 20.1K

147.16%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$4.23 LKR 1,422

383.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$14.94 LKR 5,021

164.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$3.29 LKR 1,104

180.24%

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

$616 €540

$37.10 LKR 12.5K

1560.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$447 LKR 150.3K

3576.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$27.49 LKR 9,237

273.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$19.74 LKR 6,632

111.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$68.7 LKR 23.1K

37.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$39.27 LKR 13.2K

210.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

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 Kegalle: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Kegalle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $258 per month, with Kegalle 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 Kegalle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kegalle wins on cost – living expenses run 334% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kegalle the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $791 in Kegalle 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 $37.10 in Kegalle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kegalle – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $527 in Kegalle versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kegalle but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kegalle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kegalle delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $527 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kegalle hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Kegalle 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 Kegalle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 334% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.