Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matale

For one person, living is cheaper in Matale: $226 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 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

$2,202

/mo nomad

Matale

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$226

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Matale

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $226 in Matale.

Lisbon $2,202
Matale $226

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $370 in Matale.

Lisbon $3,274
Matale $370

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $513 in Matale.

Lisbon $4,346
Matale $513

Living in Lisbon is roughly 876% more expensive than in Matale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Matale is 83% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$1.76 LKR 584

868.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$8.99 LKR 2,979

592.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$4.51 LKR 1,493

144.35%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

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

$2.27 €2.02

$0.49 LKR 162

363.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.22 LKR 72.8

690.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$2.38 LKR 787

43.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$1.86 LKR 617

101.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.47 LKR 487

-20.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.46 LKR 152

304.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$0.63 LKR 208

144.44%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$1.59 LKR 528

155.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$9.73 LKR 3,221

32.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$3.59 LKR 1,189

120.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$7.43 LKR 2,461

137.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$0.56 LKR 184

212.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$0.87 LKR 288

194.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$0.52 LKR 173

255.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$0.52 LKR 173

278.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.63 LKR 539

-15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.25 LKR 83.1

320.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.14 LKR 376

92.11%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$164 €146

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

$18.48 €16.43

$3.75 LKR 1,244

392.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$23.70 LKR 7,851

337.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$10.70 LKR 3,544

1065.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$43.05 LKR 14.3K

2615.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$61.6 LKR 20.4K

3133.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$164 LKR 54.4K

873.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Matale: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Matale

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Matale

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Matale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Matale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Matale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Matale

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Matale

–

Cost Breakdown

Lisbon pays 874% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $9.00 in Matale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $116 per month, with Matale cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇱🇰 Matale

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

21:34 9:34 PM

4 h 30 min ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

40,800

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Lisbon Matale 9,470 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

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Matale

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 Matale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Matale differ by about 876% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $226 including rent). Matale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 874% higher in Lisbon, 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 Matale – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $226 in Matale – a 876% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $226 in Matale versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Matale but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Matale 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 Matale 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 Matale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 876% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.