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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $522 in Kegalle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $859 in Kegalle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,196 in Kegalle.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 324% more expensive than Kegalle, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Kegalle is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$4.08 LKR 1,351

289.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$25.56 LKR 8,475

153.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.19 LKR 2,717

28.33%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.62 LKR 868

9.54%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.69 LKR 230

224.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.38 LKR 126

294.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.37 LKR 785

47.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.31 LKR 1,099

17.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.72 LKR 572

-33.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.55 LKR 183

218.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.85 LKR 283

107.06%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.14 LKR 709

50.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$14.26 LKR 4,728

-5.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.57 LKR 1,517

73.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.89 LKR 2,615

101.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$7.40 LKR 2,453

-68.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.12 LKR 370

51.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$5.63 LKR 1,866

-64.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.26 LKR 416

95.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.11 LKR 367

65.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.36 LKR 451

47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.19 LKR 393

62.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.60 LKR 198

31.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$9.87 LKR 3,273

-33.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$12.90 LKR 4,276

-55.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.11 LKR 700

-35.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.89 LKR 959

2.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.38 LKR 127

1028.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.35 LKR 116

134.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$0.57 LKR 190

3110.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.20 LKR 397

71.67%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$27.1K LKR 9.0M

26.47%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$34.4K LKR 11.4M

14.36%

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

$148 €127

$59.3 LKR 19.7K

149.23%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$4.25 LKR 1,410

382.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$15.30 LKR 5,074

158.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.42 LKR 1,135

168.42%

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

$614 €528

$37.49 LKR 12.4K

1537.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$441 LKR 146.4K

3535.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$27.53 LKR 9,128

280.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$19.46 LKR 6,452

116.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$68.8 LKR 22.8K

36.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$39.26 LKR 13.0K

204.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kegalle: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $26.00 in Kegalle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $257 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 324% 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 $3,315 in Lisbon and $783 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 $614 in Lisbon versus $37.49 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 $26.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $522 in Kegalle versus $2,210 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 $522 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 324% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.