Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matara Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $583 in Matara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $928 in Matara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,272 in Matara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 288% more expensive than Matara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Matara is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$2.47 LKR 825

545.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$24.67 LKR 8,231

156.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$8.45 LKR 2,817

22.84%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.77 LKR 923

0.72%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.69 LKR 232

239.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.38 LKR 125

313.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.38 LKR 794

44.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.31 LKR 1,104

18.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.73 LKR 577

-37.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.55 LKR 185

221.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.86 LKR 287

98.84%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.13 LKR 711

47.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$14.00 LKR 4,670

-2.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$4.55 LKR 1,517

76.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$7.88 LKR 2,628

96.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$7.65 LKR 2,553

-70.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.53 LKR 176

209.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$5.88 LKR 1,962

-67.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$0.65 LKR 217

286.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.83 LKR 276

115.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.49 LKR 162

310.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.15 LKR 384

71.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 LKR 190

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$10.01 LKR 3,340

-32.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$12.85 LKR 4,286

-55.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.10 LKR 702

-33.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.87 LKR 959

5.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.16 LKR 54.7

1318.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.39 LKR 130

1000.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.33 LKR 109

157.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$0.57 LKR 191

3107.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.21 LKR 402

64.46%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$26.8K LKR 8.9M

30.79%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$35.0K LKR 11.7M

12.88%

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

$146 €126

$25.92 LKR 8,645

463.97%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$4.26 LKR 1,423

380.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$5.11 LKR 1,706

662.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$3.43 LKR 1,144

177.55%

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

$608 €524

$37.26 LKR 12.4K

1532.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$445 LKR 148.3K

3614.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$27.74 LKR 9,252

274.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$19.47 LKR 6,494

116.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$70.2 LKR 23.4K

31.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$38.21 LKR 12.7K

214.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$167 LKR 55.7K

871.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$119 LKR 39.5K

969.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$494 LKR 164.7K

517.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$169 LKR 56.5K

1086.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$106 LKR 35.2K

1400.53%

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 8, 2026

Last update for Matara: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $167 in Matara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1401% 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 Matara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $248 per month, with Matara 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 Matara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Matara differ by about 288% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $583 including rent). Matara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 1401% more on average, 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $167 in Matara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $583 in Matara – a 288% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $583 in Matara versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Matara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Matara 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 Matara 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 Matara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 288% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.