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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $518 in Polonnaruwa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $855 in Polonnaruwa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,192 in Polonnaruwa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 341% more expensive than in Polonnaruwa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$3.99 LKR 1,337

294.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$25.15 LKR 8,428

152.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$8.33 LKR 2,790

25.45%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.67 LKR 894

8.99%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.68 LKR 227

236.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.40 LKR 135

275.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.29 LKR 767

55.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$3.37 LKR 1,129

17.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.72 LKR 575

-37.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.53 LKR 177

232.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.82 LKR 275

107.32%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.15 LKR 719

51.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$14.34 LKR 4,804

-7.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$4.65 LKR 1,557

65.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$7.87 LKR 2,636

100.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$7.44 LKR 2,493

-69.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.07 LKR 360

55.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$5.72 LKR 1,915

-64.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.21 LKR 406

104.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.16 LKR 390

54.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.42 LKR 477

45.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.20 LKR 401

64.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.57 LKR 189

45.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$9.98 LKR 3,342

-34.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$12.40 LKR 4,155

-55.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.02 LKR 676

-34.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$2.96 LKR 990

1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$0.39 LKR 129

984.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.33 LKR 109

157.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$0.57 LKR 191

3203.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.19 LKR 400

69.75%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$26.5K LKR 8.9M

31.85%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$35.4K LKR 11.9M

12.05%

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

$148 €129

$60.6 LKR 20.3K

143.99%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$4.20 LKR 1,408

388.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$15.37 LKR 5,151

157.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$3.37 LKR 1,131

170.03%

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

$615 €536

$37.12 LKR 12.4K

1556.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$436 LKR 145.9K

3639.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$27.64 LKR 9,263

267.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$19.24 LKR 6,446

118.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$69.2 LKR 23.2K

33.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$38.58 LKR 12.9K

216.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

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 27, 2026

Last update for Polonnaruwa: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Polonnaruwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $255 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 341% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $518 including rent). Polonnaruwa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $776 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 $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $518 in Polonnaruwa – a 341% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $518 in Polonnaruwa versus $2,280 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 341% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.