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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $510 in Nuwara Eliya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $837 in Nuwara Eliya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,165 in Nuwara Eliya.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 345% more expensive than in Nuwara Eliya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Nuwara Eliya is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$4.34 LKR 1,427

304.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$25.45 LKR 8,362

153.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.82 LKR 2,569

48.98%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.50 LKR 820

30.40%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.40 LKR 131

522.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.25 LKR 81.3

568.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.19 LKR 719

58.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.09 LKR 1,014

15.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.62 LKR 532

-27.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.53 LKR 174

267.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.75 LKR 246

108.00%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.65 LKR 541

143.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$13.33 LKR 4,380

-0.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.19 LKR 1,704

62.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.18 LKR 2,360

153.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$6.98 LKR 2,293

-66.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.88 LKR 288

96.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$4.35 LKR 1,428

-55.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.24 LKR 409

112.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.06 LKR 348

79.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.74 LKR 244

185.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.93 LKR 307

54.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.45 LKR 148

77.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$10.49 LKR 3,447

-33.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$13.75 LKR 4,517

-56.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.89 LKR 621

-28.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.82 LKR 925

-23.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.39 LKR 127

974.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.36 LKR 118

205.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$0.89 LKR 293

1839.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.33 LKR 436

69.17%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$31.0K LKR 10.2M

11.08%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$42.4K LKR 13.9M

-1.79%

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

$171 €147

$54.6 LKR 17.9K

213.20%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$4.07 LKR 1,338

367.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$21.28 LKR 6,994

61.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.52 LKR 1,486

123.45%

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

$699 €603

$38.20 LKR 12.6K

1730.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$1,241 LKR 407.7K

1331.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$19.98 LKR 6,564

423.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$16.54 LKR 5,435

190.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$78.9 LKR 25.9K

29.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$42.81 LKR 14.1K

199.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

12.69

-70.21%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Nuwara Eliya: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Nuwara Eliya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $239 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 345% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $510 including rent). Nuwara Eliya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $764 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 18% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $510 in Nuwara Eliya – a 345% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $510 in Nuwara Eliya versus $2,268 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 345% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.