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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $549 in Wattala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $878 in Wattala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,207 in Wattala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 303% more expensive than Wattala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Wattala is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$3.96 LKR 1,313

301.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$25.05 LKR 8,306

158.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.60 LKR 2,853

22.21%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.76 LKR 915

3.99%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.72 LKR 239

211.11%

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

$2.27 LKR 754

53.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.39 LKR 1,125

14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.72 LKR 572

-33.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.53 LKR 175

230.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.81 LKR 267

117.28%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.23 LKR 741

44.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$14.15 LKR 4,690

-4.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.79 LKR 1,588

65.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.88 LKR 2,613

101.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$7.56 LKR 2,508

-69.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.06 LKR 351

60.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$5.67 LKR 1,881

-64.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.19 LKR 396

106.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.15 LKR 380

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.43 LKR 474

39.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.15 LKR 383

67.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.56 LKR 187

41.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$10.13 LKR 3,359

-34.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$12.98 LKR 4,303

-55.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.09 LKR 695

-34.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.95 LKR 979

0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.41 LKR 137

946.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.36 LKR 118

127.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$0.58 LKR 192

3055.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.26 LKR 417

63.49%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.5K LKR 8.8M

29.54%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$34.7K LKR 11.5M

13.35%

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

$148 €127

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

150.63%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$4.45 LKR 1,476

361.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$15.22 LKR 5,047

160.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$13.56 LKR 4,497

252.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.28 LKR 1,089

179.88%

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

$614 €528

$37.01 LKR 12.3K

1558.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$446 LKR 148.0K

3496.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$27.84 LKR 9,230

275.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$19.44 LKR 6,446

116.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$70.6 LKR 23.4K

33.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$38.94 LKR 12.9K

207.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

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 1, 2026

Last update for Wattala: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Wattala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $258 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 303% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $549 including rent). Wattala 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 $823 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 $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $549 in Wattala – a 303% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $549 in Wattala versus $2,210 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 303% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.