Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ragama Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ragama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $526 in Ragama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $851 in Ragama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,177 in Ragama.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Ragama is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$3.92 LKR 1,240

301.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$25.21 LKR 7,978

150.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$8.54 LKR 2,703

20.84%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$2.73 LKR 865

2.93%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.74 LKR 233

214.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.40 LKR 127

277.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.32 LKR 734

45.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.26 LKR 1,032

19.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.58 LKR 501

-31.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$0.53 LKR 168

230.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.75 LKR 238

133.33%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.19 LKR 694

41.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$14.03 LKR 4,441

-5.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$4.64 LKR 1,468

69.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$7.93 LKR 2,509

102.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$7.69 LKR 2,433

-68.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.07 LKR 340

60.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$5.69 LKR 1,801

-65.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.26 LKR 399

102.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.11 LKR 351

61.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.18 LKR 375

66.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.16 LKR 367

68.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.61 LKR 192

37.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$10.10 LKR 3,198

-32.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$12.87 LKR 4,073

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.00 LKR 632

-31.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.96 LKR 936

-1.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$0.39 LKR 123

956.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.35 LKR 111

131.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$0.56 LKR 178

3282.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.26 LKR 400

65.87%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$27.3K LKR 8.6M

28.74%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$34.7K LKR 11.0M

14.33%

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

$150 €128

$59.0 LKR 18.7K

153.45%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$4.43 LKR 1,404

362.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$15.40 LKR 4,875

154.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$3.45 LKR 1,091

166.67%

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

$624 €533

$37.37 LKR 11.8K

1571.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$440 LKR 139.4K

3512.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$27.22 LKR 8,616

275.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$19.32 LKR 6,116

111.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$70.2 LKR 22.2K

36.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$39.05 LKR 12.4K

210.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

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 21, 2026

Last update for Ragama: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $0 in Ragama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $25 in Ragama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $255 per month, with Ragama 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 Ragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ragama differ by about 327% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $526 including rent). Ragama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,365 in Lisbon and $789 in Ragama 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 $2,243 per month in Lisbon versus $526 in Ragama – a 327% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $526 in Ragama versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ragama but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ragama 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 Ragama 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 Ragama 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.