Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wattala Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wattala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $545 in Wattala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $892 in Wattala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,239 in Wattala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 320% more expensive than in Wattala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Wattala is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$3.97 LKR 1,334

307.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$25.28 LKR 8,496

150.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$8.23 LKR 2,766

25.39%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.75 LKR 923

2.91%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.70 LKR 235

227.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.40 LKR 135

295.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.35 LKR 790

44.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.26 LKR 1,095

23.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.69 LKR 569

-35.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.53 LKR 177

230.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.80 LKR 269

120.00%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.12 LKR 711

49.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$14.33 LKR 4,815

-7.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.55 LKR 1,528

75.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$8.08 LKR 2,714

92.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$7.42 LKR 2,495

-68.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.10 LKR 370

55.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$5.74 LKR 1,929

-64.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.26 LKR 425

92.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.12 LKR 376

57.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.41 LKR 473

43.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.14 LKR 383

68.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.56 LKR 187

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$10.17 LKR 3,418

-35.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$12.68 LKR 4,261

-55.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.00 LKR 671

-33.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.96 LKR 996

0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.41 LKR 139

931.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.36 LKR 119

125.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$0.62 LKR 208

2874.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.21 LKR 408

71.90%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

27.46%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$34.2K LKR 11.5M

14.56%

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

$148 €130

$61.3 LKR 20.6K

141.64%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$4.27 LKR 1,435

379.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$15.35 LKR 5,157

157.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$13.17 LKR 4,425

264.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$3.38 LKR 1,135

172.78%

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

$616 €540

$36.74 LKR 12.3K

1576.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$447 LKR 150.3K

3576.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$27.03 LKR 9,083

279.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$19.11 LKR 6,421

118.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$69.1 LKR 23.2K

37.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$38.99 LKR 13.1K

212.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

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 14, 2026

Last update for Wattala: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Wattala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $256 per month, with Wattala 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 Wattala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Wattala differ by about 320% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $545 including rent). Wattala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $817 in Wattala 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 5% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $545 in Wattala – a 320% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $545 in Wattala versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wattala but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Wattala 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 Wattala 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 Wattala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 320% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.