Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $471 a month against $2,203 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,203

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ratnapura

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Ratnapura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,203 in Lisbon versus $471 in Ratnapura.

Lisbon $2,203
Ratnapura $471

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,237 in Lisbon versus $766 in Ratnapura.

Lisbon $3,237
Ratnapura $766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,062 in Ratnapura.

Lisbon $4,272
Ratnapura $1,062

Living in Lisbon is roughly 368% more expensive than in Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Ratnapura is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.01 €15.18

$1.99 LKR 659

754.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.7 €56.0

$9.15 LKR 3,028

585.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €10.19

$5.89 LKR 1,949

93.89%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.76

$2.17 LKR 718

42.40%

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

$2.37 €2.11

$0.74 LKR 245

220.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.48

$0.47 LKR 155

253.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 €3.09

$1.93 LKR 639

79.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.93

$2.74 LKR 908

20.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.77 LKR 586

-33.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.66

$0.75 LKR 247

149.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$0.63 LKR 208

141.27%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.46

$1.11 LKR 368

249.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 €11.49

$15.11 LKR 5,000

-14.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 €7.08

$6.30 LKR 2,086

26.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 €15.73

$15.80 LKR 5,228

11.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$4.18 LKR 1,382

-45.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$0.72 LKR 237

144.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$4.22 LKR 1,397

-55.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$0.99 LKR 329

149.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.05 LKR 348

77.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$1.36 LKR 451

52.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$0.47 LKR 154

195.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.44 LKR 145

84.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €6.15

$12.91 LKR 4,270

-46.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 €4.93

$12.87 LKR 4,259

-57.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$2.09 LKR 691

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.81 LKR 931

-22.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €2.00

$0.37 LKR 124

505.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.14 €40.29

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.57

$0.38 LKR 125

952.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.44 LKR 145

143.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.53 €14.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €2.02

$0.97 LKR 322

132.99%

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

$33.5K €29.9K

$19.5K LKR 6.4M

71.92%

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

$40.5K €36.1K

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

106.41%

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

$164 €146

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

$18.54 €16.55

$2.08 LKR 688

791.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €29.64

$7.36 LKR 2,434

351.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €41.06

$9.19 LKR 3,041

400.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 €16.78

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 €8.45

$2.46 LKR 815

284.96%

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

$690 €615

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.4

$10.68 LKR 3,535

879.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 €40.40

$7.54 LKR 2,495

500.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 €88.3

$85.6 LKR 28.3K

15.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$25.29 LKR 8,365

390.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,413

$76.6 LKR 25.4K

1965.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,079

$54.9 LKR 18.1K

2104.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,833 €2,528

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 €1,753

$83.2 LKR 27.5K

2261.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,643 €6,821

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,431 €3,954

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,573 €1,403

$167 LKR 55.3K

840.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 54%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5% 95.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.1%

Ratnapura

$258 54% 5% $14

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11%

Ratnapura

$80 16.7% 67.8% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.6%

Ratnapura

$9.4 * 2% 95.6% $206

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.5%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 65.4% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 2.9%

Ratnapura

$14 3% 78.3% $51

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Ratnapura

$4.1 * 0.9% 93.6% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Lisbon and $76.6 in Ratnapura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 840% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $9.00 in Ratnapura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $258 per month, with Ratnapura cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

14:05 2:05 PM

18:35 6:35 PM

4 h 30 min ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

52,100

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Ratnapura 9,500 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Ratnapura

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ratnapura differ by about 368% in total monthly costs ($2,203 vs $471 including rent). Ratnapura is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 840% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,583 in Lisbon versus $76.6 in Ratnapura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ratnapura – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,203 per month in Lisbon versus $471 in Ratnapura – a 368% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $471 in Ratnapura versus $2,203 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ratnapura but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ratnapura 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 Ratnapura 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 Ratnapura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 368% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.