Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Maharagama

For one person, living is cheaper in Maharagama: $131 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $24,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Maharagama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Maharagama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $131 in Maharagama.

Lisbon $2,206
Maharagama $131

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $246 in Maharagama.

Lisbon $3,276
Maharagama $246

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $361 in Maharagama.

Lisbon $4,346
Maharagama $361

Living in Lisbon is roughly 1587% more expensive than in Maharagama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 63% above, Maharagama is 90% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €14.98

$5.30 LKR 1,761

218.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.2

$20.24 LKR 6,733

201.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.75

$6.67 LKR 2,220

64.62%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.71

$2.11 LKR 702

44.55%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$0.64 LKR 213

256.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.49

$0.29 LKR 95.3

479.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.47

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.87 LKR 288

32.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$0.23 LKR 76.1

721.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.33

$0.50 LKR 167

200.00%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$1.42 LKR 474

190.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.55

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.15

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.89

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.72

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.91

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.54

$0.44 LKR 146

804.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$0.46 LKR 154

39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.02

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

$33.4K €29.6K

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

$38.5K €34.2K

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

$158 €141

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

$17.54 €15.58

$4.55 LKR 1,514

285.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.70

$13.38 LKR 4,450

133.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.66

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.86

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.51

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

$674 €598

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.77

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,457

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,055

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,509

$198 LKR 65.9K

1325.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,793

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,960

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,176

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,499

$240 LKR 79.7K

604.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Maharagama: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Maharagama

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Maharagama

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Maharagama

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Maharagama

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Maharagama

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Maharagama

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Maharagama

–

Cost Breakdown

Lisbon pays about 7 times 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: $61 in Lisbon vs $20 in Maharagama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $19 per month, with Maharagama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇱🇰 Maharagama

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

04:33 4:33 AM

5 h 30 min ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

196,400

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Lisbon Maharagama 9,450 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

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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 Maharagama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $131 in Maharagama, so Maharagama is about 94% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Lisbon is about 7 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Maharagama – a meal for two runs $20 versus $61 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,206 per month in Lisbon versus $131 in Maharagama – Maharagama is about 94% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $131 in Maharagama versus $2,206 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Maharagama but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Maharagama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Maharagama are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Maharagama wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.