Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Polonnaruwa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Polonnaruwa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $522 in Polonnaruwa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $863 in Polonnaruwa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,204 in Polonnaruwa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 327% more expensive than Polonnaruwa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Polonnaruwa is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$3.95 LKR 1,261

309.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$25.04 LKR 7,987

157.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.26 LKR 2,636

25.67%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.62 LKR 834

5.73%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.68 LKR 216

230.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.37 LKR 118

324.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.29 LKR 731

52.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.30 LKR 1,053

21.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.72 LKR 548

-37.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.56 LKR 179

210.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.81 LKR 257

114.81%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.18 LKR 697

45.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$13.95 LKR 4,448

-3.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$4.53 LKR 1,446

76.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$7.83 LKR 2,497

105.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$7.55 LKR 2,407

-69.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.08 LKR 343

59.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$5.95 LKR 1,897

-67.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.24 LKR 396

104.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.14 LKR 365

60.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.36 LKR 433

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.16 LKR 370

70.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.60 LKR 192

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$9.98 LKR 3,183

-31.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$12.50 LKR 3,988

-53.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.06 LKR 658

-33.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.85 LKR 909

1.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.39 LKR 124

946.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.33 LKR 104

148.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$0.60 LKR 192

2945.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.24 LKR 396

62.10%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$26.9K LKR 8.6M

30.94%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$35.2K LKR 11.2M

9.50%

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

$145 €124

$59.5 LKR 19.0K

144.37%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$4.42 LKR 1,409

374.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$15.08 LKR 4,808

165.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$3.38 LKR 1,078

168.05%

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

$607 €519

$36.48 LKR 11.6K

1562.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$436 LKR 138.9K

3649.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$27.88 LKR 8,892

275.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$19.48 LKR 6,214

110.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$68.7 LKR 21.9K

36.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$38.46 LKR 12.3K

208.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

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 26, 2026

Last update for Polonnaruwa: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Polonnaruwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $256 per month, with Polonnaruwa 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 Polonnaruwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Polonnaruwa differ by about 327% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $522 including rent). Polonnaruwa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $783 in Polonnaruwa 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 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $522 in Polonnaruwa – a 327% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $522 in Polonnaruwa versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Polonnaruwa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Polonnaruwa 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 Polonnaruwa 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 Polonnaruwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 327% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.