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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $585 in Matara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $915 in Matara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,245 in Matara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 290% more expensive than in Matara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Matara is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$2.44 LKR 819

545.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$25.31 LKR 8,481

150.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$8.42 LKR 2,823

24.11%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.76 LKR 926

5.43%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.72 LKR 243

218.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.37 LKR 125

305.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.33 LKR 779

52.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$3.44 LKR 1,152

15.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.70 LKR 571

-36.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.52 LKR 175

238.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.81 LKR 273

109.88%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.20 LKR 737

47.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$14.25 LKR 4,773

-7.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$4.77 LKR 1,600

61.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$7.87 LKR 2,639

100.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$7.39 LKR 2,477

-69.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$0.55 LKR 185

201.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$5.90 LKR 1,978

-65.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$0.70 LKR 233

252.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$0.86 LKR 289

108.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$0.53 LKR 176

290.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.15 LKR 384

71.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.60 LKR 202

38.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$9.97 LKR 3,339

-34.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$12.83 LKR 4,300

-56.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.08 LKR 697

-36.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$2.99 LKR 1,001

0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.18 LKR 61.3

1161.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$0.42 LKR 139

907.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.36 LKR 119

136.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$0.56 LKR 188

3262.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.22 LKR 408

65.57%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$26.6K LKR 8.9M

31.37%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$34.5K LKR 11.6M

14.98%

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

$148 €129

$25.15 LKR 8,426

488.19%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$4.23 LKR 1,417

385.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$5.10 LKR 1,710

674.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$3.31 LKR 1,107

174.92%

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

$615 €536

$37.49 LKR 12.6K

1539.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$438 LKR 146.7K

3618.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$28.09 LKR 9,411

261.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$19.49 LKR 6,531

115.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$68.6 LKR 23.0K

34.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$38.16 LKR 12.8K

219.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$166 LKR 55.7K

869.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$117 LKR 39.3K

968.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$498 LKR 166.8K

516.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$166 LKR 55.8K

1123.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$102 LKR 34.3K

1463.79%

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 Matara: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $166 in Matara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1464% 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 $267 vs $249 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 290% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $585 including rent). Matara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1464% 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 $166 in Matara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $585 in Matara – a 290% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $585 in Matara versus $2,280 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 290% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.