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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $538 in Polonnaruwa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $857 in Polonnaruwa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,176 in Polonnaruwa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 321% more expensive than Polonnaruwa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Polonnaruwa is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$4.00 LKR 1,333

298.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$25.54 LKR 8,518

148.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$8.60 LKR 2,870

20.70%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.74 LKR 913

1.82%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.73 LKR 242

220.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.40 LKR 134

292.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.29 LKR 763

49.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.39 LKR 1,130

15.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.79 LKR 597

-39.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.53 LKR 176

233.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.85 LKR 285

101.18%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.19 LKR 732

43.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$13.94 LKR 4,650

-1.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$4.65 LKR 1,550

72.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$8.10 LKR 2,702

91.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$7.54 LKR 2,514

-69.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.06 LKR 354

54.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$5.95 LKR 1,985

-67.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.24 LKR 415

102.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.16 LKR 387

54.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.42 LKR 474

41.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.15 LKR 382

71.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 LKR 190

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$10.23 LKR 3,411

-33.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$12.46 LKR 4,156

-54.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.08 LKR 694

-33.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.88 LKR 961

4.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.38 LKR 128

1028.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.32 LKR 108

165.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$0.57 LKR 190

3107.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.26 LKR 421

57.94%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$27.1K LKR 9.0M

29.33%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$34.2K LKR 11.4M

15.56%

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

$146 €126

$59.4 LKR 19.8K

146.18%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$4.43 LKR 1,479

361.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$15.22 LKR 5,077

156.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$3.40 LKR 1,134

180.00%

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

$608 €524

$37.28 LKR 12.4K

1531.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$442 LKR 147.3K

3638.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$27.70 LKR 9,239

275.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$19.51 LKR 6,508

115.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$70.2 LKR 23.4K

31.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$38.00 LKR 12.7K

215.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

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 8, 2026

Last update for Polonnaruwa: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $26.00 in Polonnaruwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $258 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 321% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $538 including rent). Polonnaruwa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $807 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 4% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $538 in Polonnaruwa – a 321% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $538 in Polonnaruwa versus $2,263 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 321% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.