Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kurunegala Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kurunegala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $447 in Kurunegala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $745 in Kurunegala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,043 in Kurunegala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 411% more expensive than in Kurunegala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Kurunegala is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$1.91 LKR 641

724.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$25.33 LKR 8,500

150.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$4.91 LKR 1,648

112.83%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.72 LKR 913

6.99%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.43 LKR 144

432.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.37 LKR 125

305.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.97 LKR 662

80.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.96 LKR 992

33.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.63 LKR 547

-33.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.48 LKR 161

266.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.88 LKR 295

93.18%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.21 LKR 742

47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$13.94 LKR 4,679

-4.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$4.74 LKR 1,592

62.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$7.84 LKR 2,630

101.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$7.29 LKR 2,448

-68.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.07 LKR 358

55.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$5.69 LKR 1,908

-64.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.26 LKR 424

96.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.11 LKR 372

61.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.43 LKR 479

44.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.15 LKR 387

71.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.56 LKR 189

48.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$10.11 LKR 3,392

-35.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$12.60 LKR 4,229

-55.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.99 LKR 669

-33.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.83 LKR 950

6.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.31 LKR 106

632.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.38 LKR 129

1013.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.33 LKR 110

157.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$0.61 LKR 204

2986.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.25 LKR 418

61.60%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$27.3K LKR 9.1M

28.23%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$34.1K LKR 11.5M

16.12%

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

$148 €128

$26.32 LKR 8,832

462.04%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$1.96 LKR 657

946.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$14.79 LKR 4,962

167.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$8.54 LKR 2,867

464.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$1.36 LKR 456

569.12%

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

$615 €532

$36.93 LKR 12.4K

1564.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$433 LKR 145.4K

3657.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$11.78 LKR 3,952

762.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$19.46 LKR 6,530

116.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$43.91 LKR 14.7K

110.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$37.99 LKR 12.7K

221.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$102 LKR 34.3K

1478.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$204 LKR 68.4K

1405.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$149 LKR 50.2K

971.65%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Kurunegala: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $102 in Kurunegala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 972% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Kurunegala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $253 per month, with Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kurunegala is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 411% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 972% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $102 in Kurunegala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $36.93 in Kurunegala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurunegala – 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 $447 in Kurunegala versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kurunegala but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kurunegala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 411% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.