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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $585 in Matara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $932 in Matara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,279 in Matara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 284% more expensive than Matara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Matara is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$2.53 LKR 801

521.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$25.56 LKR 8,090

147.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$8.26 LKR 2,615

24.94%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$2.74 LKR 867

2.55%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.68 LKR 214

242.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.37 LKR 118

308.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.36 LKR 747

42.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.28 LKR 1,039

19.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.74 LKR 552

-37.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$0.55 LKR 175

218.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.87 LKR 274

101.15%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.15 LKR 681

44.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$13.88 LKR 4,392

-4.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$4.71 LKR 1,491

66.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$7.86 LKR 2,489

104.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$7.27 LKR 2,302

-67.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$0.52 LKR 164

230.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$5.65 LKR 1,789

-65.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$0.64 LKR 203

298.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.82 LKR 258

118.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.53 LKR 166

271.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.19 LKR 377

64.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.56 LKR 178

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$10.18 LKR 3,223

-33.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$12.68 LKR 4,014

-53.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.07 LKR 656

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.94 LKR 931

-0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.17 LKR 53.1

1247.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$0.42 LKR 132

880.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.35 LKR 111

131.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$0.58 LKR 183

3165.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.19 LKR 378

75.63%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$26.9K LKR 8.5M

30.52%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$34.5K LKR 10.9M

15.10%

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

$150 €128

$25.87 LKR 8,189

478.12%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$4.31 LKR 1,365

375.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$5.04 LKR 1,595

676.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$3.45 LKR 1,090

166.67%

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

$624 €533

$37.03 LKR 11.7K

1586.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$436 LKR 137.9K

3551.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$27.27 LKR 8,632

274.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$19.24 LKR 6,089

112.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$68.5 LKR 21.7K

39.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$39.22 LKR 12.4K

208.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$169 LKR 53.5K

878.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$118 LKR 37.4K

943.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$499 LKR 158.1K

509.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$169 LKR 53.4K

1119.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$95.2 LKR 30.1K

1545.66%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Matara: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $169 in Matara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1546% 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 in Lisbon vs $26 in Matara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $246 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 284% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $585 including rent). Matara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 1546% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $169 in Matara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,243 per month in Lisbon versus $585 in Matara – a 284% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $585 in Matara versus $2,243 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 284% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.