Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Trincomalee Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Trincomalee

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $517 in Trincomalee.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $847 in Trincomalee.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $1,176 in Trincomalee.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Trincomalee is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.81

$3.94 LKR 1,325

298.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.3

$25.04 LKR 8,417

151.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.26

$8.55 LKR 2,876

23.16%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.54

$2.64 LKR 889

9.09%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$0.74 LKR 250

204.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$0.38 LKR 126

310.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.98

$2.33 LKR 783

45.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.43

$3.44 LKR 1,157

13.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.76 LKR 590

-38.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$0.56 LKR 188

208.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$0.86 LKR 290

104.65%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.78

$2.18 LKR 734

44.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.68

$14.30 LKR 4,809

-7.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.92

$4.80 LKR 1,612

63.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.92

$8.21 LKR 2,760

92.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$7.64 LKR 2,569

-68.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.50

$1.11 LKR 374

53.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$5.63 LKR 1,891

-63.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$1.22 LKR 409

106.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.12 LKR 376

66.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.35 LKR 455

52.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.14 LKR 383

75.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$0.60 LKR 203

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.84

$10.02 LKR 3,368

-33.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.08

$12.53 LKR 4,211

-53.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$2.03 LKR 682

-32.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$2.87 LKR 965

5.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$0.39 LKR 130

946.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.36 LKR 120

122.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.39

$0.62 LKR 208

2908.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.21 LKR 407

65.29%

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

$35.4K €31.1K

$26.3K LKR 8.8M

34.42%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$34.7K LKR 11.7M

12.68%

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

$150 €132

$59.9 LKR 20.1K

150.79%

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

$20.55 €18.07

$4.44 LKR 1,494

362.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.68

$15.38 LKR 5,169

156.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.25

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.44

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.18

$3.31 LKR 1,114

180.97%

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

$628 €552

$36.66 LKR 12.3K

1613.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.5K

$443 LKR 148.9K

3615.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.3

$27.50 LKR 9,243

269.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.52

$19.27 LKR 6,476

115.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.3

$69.1 LKR 23.2K

33.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$38.22 LKR 12.8K

220.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,431

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,084

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,748

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,809

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,824

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,856

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Trincomalee: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Trincomalee for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $259 per month, with Trincomalee 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 Trincomalee: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Trincomalee differ by about 327% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $517 including rent). Trincomalee is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $776 in Trincomalee 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 4% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $517 in Trincomalee – a 327% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $517 in Trincomalee versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Trincomalee but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Trincomalee 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 Trincomalee 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 Trincomalee 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.