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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $534 in Ragama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $867 in Ragama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,201 in Ragama.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 324% more expensive than Ragama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$4.06 LKR 1,369

292.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$25.46 LKR 8,582

148.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$8.28 LKR 2,790

25.36%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$2.76 LKR 929

1.09%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$0.73 LKR 247

220.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$0.38 LKR 128

313.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$2.38 LKR 802

44.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$3.44 LKR 1,161

13.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.63 LKR 551

-33.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$0.53 LKR 178

233.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$0.75 LKR 254

128.00%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$2.13 LKR 717

47.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$14.01 LKR 4,720

-2.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$4.60 LKR 1,550

74.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$7.90 LKR 2,662

96.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$7.43 LKR 2,504

-69.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.10 LKR 372

49.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$5.62 LKR 1,894

-65.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$1.25 LKR 421

100.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.16 LKR 392

54.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.19 LKR 400

68.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.20 LKR 404

64.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.60 LKR 201

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$10.10 LKR 3,403

-32.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$12.58 LKR 4,240

-54.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.02 LKR 682

-31.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$2.94 LKR 992

2.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$0.41 LKR 138

946.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.32 LKR 109

165.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$0.56 LKR 189

3164.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.21 LKR 407

64.46%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$26.6K LKR 9.0M

31.79%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$34.9K LKR 11.8M

13.40%

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

$146 €127

$60.7 LKR 20.4K

140.98%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$4.27 LKR 1,438

378.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$15.07 LKR 5,079

158.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$3.38 LKR 1,138

181.66%

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

$608 €527

$36.60 LKR 12.3K

1561.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$444 LKR 149.7K

3616.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$27.18 LKR 9,159

282.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$19.47 LKR 6,561

116.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$69.4 LKR 23.4K

32.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$38.05 LKR 12.8K

215.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

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 Ragama: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Ragama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $253 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 324% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $534 including rent). Ragama 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 $800 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 $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $534 in Ragama – a 324% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $534 in Ragama versus $2,263 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 324% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.