Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nuwara Eliya Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nuwara Eliya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $521 in Nuwara Eliya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $865 in Nuwara Eliya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,208 in Nuwara Eliya.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 339% more expensive than in Nuwara Eliya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Nuwara Eliya is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$3.93 LKR 1,319

311.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$24.65 LKR 8,282

156.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$8.42 LKR 2,830

22.57%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.73 LKR 918

3.66%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.69 LKR 231

231.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.37 LKR 125

327.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.40 LKR 806

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.33 LKR 1,118

21.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.71 LKR 575

-36.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.52 LKR 176

236.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.87 LKR 291

102.30%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.20 LKR 740

44.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$14.05 LKR 4,721

-6.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.68 LKR 1,574

70.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$8.14 LKR 2,736

90.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$7.34 LKR 2,467

-67.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.10 LKR 371

55.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$5.85 LKR 1,965

-65.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.20 LKR 404

102.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.11 LKR 375

58.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.42 LKR 478

42.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.14 LKR 383

68.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.56 LKR 188

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$10.02 LKR 3,366

-34.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$12.46 LKR 4,187

-55.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.04 LKR 684

-34.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.99 LKR 1,005

-0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.38 LKR 128

1013.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.33 LKR 110

145.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$0.56 LKR 190

3192.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.20 LKR 402

73.33%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$26.9K LKR 9.0M

28.86%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$35.4K LKR 11.9M

10.65%

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

$148 €130

$59.8 LKR 20.1K

147.66%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$4.41 LKR 1,481

363.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$15.25 LKR 5,124

159.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$3.28 LKR 1,103

181.10%

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

$616 €540

$37.20 LKR 12.5K

1556.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$438 LKR 147.3K

3649.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$27.05 LKR 9,091

279.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$19.55 LKR 6,571

113.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$70.4 LKR 23.6K

34.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$38.88 LKR 13.1K

213.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

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 14, 2026

Last update for Nuwara Eliya: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Nuwara Eliya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $256 per month, with Nuwara Eliya 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 Nuwara Eliya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Nuwara Eliya differ by about 339% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $521 including rent). Nuwara Eliya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $782 in Nuwara Eliya to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $521 in Nuwara Eliya – a 339% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $521 in Nuwara Eliya versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nuwara Eliya but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nuwara Eliya 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 Nuwara Eliya 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 Nuwara Eliya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 339% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.