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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $527 in Nuwara Eliya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $865 in Nuwara Eliya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,202 in Nuwara Eliya.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 319% more expensive than Nuwara Eliya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Nuwara Eliya is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$4.04 LKR 1,347

293.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$25.01 LKR 8,341

158.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$8.40 LKR 2,803

25.12%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.63 LKR 878

9.13%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.74 LKR 248

202.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.41 LKR 136

265.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.32 LKR 774

50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.37 LKR 1,124

15.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.79 LKR 597

-36.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.55 LKR 185

218.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.86 LKR 288

104.65%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.11 LKR 704

52.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$13.98 LKR 4,662

-3.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.60 LKR 1,534

71.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$7.92 LKR 2,640

100.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$7.37 LKR 2,457

-68.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.06 LKR 354

60.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$5.96 LKR 1,989

-66.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.26 LKR 419

95.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.15 LKR 383

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.36 LKR 455

47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.19 LKR 396

62.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.60 LKR 199

31.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$10.04 LKR 3,348

-34.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$12.93 LKR 4,313

-55.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.10 LKR 700

-34.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.95 LKR 984

0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.39 LKR 130

1000.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.36 LKR 119

127.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$0.56 LKR 187

3167.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.20 LKR 399

71.67%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$27.1K LKR 9.0M

26.48%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$34.3K LKR 11.4M

14.48%

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

$148 €127

$60.4 LKR 20.1K

144.98%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$4.39 LKR 1,463

367.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$15.00 LKR 5,001

164.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$3.28 LKR 1,095

179.88%

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

$614 €529

$37.08 LKR 12.4K

1555.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$443 LKR 147.8K

3520.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$27.57 LKR 9,195

279.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$19.11 LKR 6,374

120.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$69.8 LKR 23.3K

34.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$38.14 LKR 12.7K

213.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

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 1, 2026

Last update for Nuwara Eliya: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Nuwara Eliya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $258 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 319% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $527 including rent). Nuwara Eliya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $790 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 5% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $527 in Nuwara Eliya – a 319% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $527 in Nuwara Eliya versus $2,210 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 319% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.