Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $734 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,153 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,572 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 201% more expensive than Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is 45% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.91 €13.69
$4.12 LKR 1,368
286.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.8 €55.7
$24.76 LKR 8,211
161.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.51 €9.04
$8.48 LKR 2,811
23.94%
Cappuccino
$2.87 €2.47
$2.67 LKR 884
7.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 €1.93
$0.75 LKR 247
198.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 €1.29
$0.38 LKR 125
294.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.49 €3.00
$2.28 LKR 757
53.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88 €3.34
$3.29 LKR 1,092
17.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 €0.98
$1.50 LKR 497
-24.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.75 €1.51
$0.53 LKR 175
230.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.76 €1.51
$0.85 LKR 283
107.06%
Eggs
$3.22 €2.77
$2.13 LKR 705
51.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.49 €11.61
$10.28 LKR 3,410
31.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.91 €6.81
$4.55 LKR 1,507
73.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.87 €13.65
$5.85 LKR 1,940
171.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.31 €1.99
$6.17 LKR 2,046
-62.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 €1.46
$1.11 LKR 367
53.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.01 €1.73
$5.71 LKR 1,894
-64.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.46 €2.12
$1.25 LKR 415
96.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.84 €1.59
$1.01 LKR 334
82.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 €1.72
$0.93 LKR 309
115.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.93 €1.66
$1.14 LKR 379
69.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 €0.68
$0.50 LKR 166
58.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.61 €5.68
$8.46 LKR 2,805
-21.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.72 €4.92
$12.57 LKR 4,167
-54.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.17
$1.47 LKR 486
-6.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 €2.56
$1.81 LKR 600
64.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.37 €2.04
$0.32 LKR 105
640.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$45.56 €39.19
$10.23 LKR 3,392
345.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.29 €3.69
$0.34 LKR 114
1161.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.82 €0.70
$0.35 LKR 117
134.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.30 €15.74
$0.44 LKR 145
4059.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 €1.78
$1.27 LKR 419
62.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.3K €29.5K
$27.2K LKR 9.0M
25.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €33.8K
$34.4K LKR 11.4M
14.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$148 €127
$30.64 LKR 10.2K
382.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.52 €17.65
$4.22 LKR 1,399
386.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.61 €34.08
$14.91 LKR 4,943
165.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.85 €41.16
$21.06 LKR 6,984
127.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.92 €16.28
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.18 €7.90
$3.42 LKR 1,135
168.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$614 €528
$36.74 LKR 12.2K
1571.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.0K €13.8K
$433 LKR 143.6K
3606.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$105 €90.0
$28.02 LKR 9,290
273.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.06 €36.18
$19.05 LKR 6,317
120.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.0 €80.8
$69.0 LKR 22.9K
36.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €103
$38.31 LKR 12.7K
212.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,628 €1,400
$335 LKR 111.0K
386.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,255 €1,080
$254 LKR 84.1K
394.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,030 €2,607
$512 LKR 169.8K
491.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,020 €1,738
$418 LKR 138.5K
383.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,800 €6,709
$686 LKR 227.4K
1037.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,273 €3,675
$528 LKR 175.1K
709.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,603 €1,379
$303 LKR 100.3K
429.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.81
15
-74.60%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $335 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 430% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $221 per month, with Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte?
Lisbon and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte differ by about 201% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $734 including rent). Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte?
Lisbon pays 430% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $335 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte?
Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $36.74 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $734 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte?
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.
Is Lisbon or Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte?
Expats usually find Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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