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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $500 in Polonnaruwa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $830 in Polonnaruwa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,161 in Polonnaruwa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 359% more expensive than in Polonnaruwa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Polonnaruwa is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$4.29 LKR 1,418

310.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$25.83 LKR 8,542

143.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$7.83 LKR 2,588

47.89%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.47 LKR 816

25.51%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.73 LKR 241

241.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.25 LKR 82.6

596.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.19 LKR 724

58.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.10 LKR 1,024

10.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.56 LKR 516

-26.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.53 LKR 175

260.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.81 LKR 267

85.19%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.64 LKR 543

142.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$13.05 LKR 4,315

1.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$5.12 LKR 1,694

56.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$7.39 LKR 2,444

144.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$6.87 LKR 2,270

-65.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$0.88 LKR 292

98.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$4.20 LKR 1,389

-55.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.24 LKR 411

105.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.01 LKR 335

82.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.76 LKR 252

176.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.93 LKR 308

60.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.48 LKR 160

70.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$10.43 LKR 3,447

-31.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$13.76 LKR 4,550

-57.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.91 LKR 630

-31.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.83 LKR 937

-24.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.41 LKR 137

895.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.38 LKR 126

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$0.92 LKR 305

1757.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.28 LKR 423

80.47%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$31.1K LKR 10.3M

9.86%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$41.9K LKR 13.9M

-1.36%

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

$169 €147

$54.5 LKR 18.0K

209.04%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$4.09 LKR 1,351

372.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$21.14 LKR 6,990

58.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$4.55 LKR 1,505

110.33%

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

$696 €606

$38.55 LKR 12.7K

1705.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$1,217 LKR 402.5K

1325.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$20.29 LKR 6,710

418.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$16.85 LKR 5,570

183.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$80.0 LKR 26.5K

25.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$41.76 LKR 13.8K

198.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

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 12, 2026

Last update for Polonnaruwa: September 14, 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 $277 vs $237 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 359% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $500 including rent). Polonnaruwa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $750 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 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $500 in Polonnaruwa – a 359% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $500 in Polonnaruwa versus $2,296 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 359% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.