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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $590 in Wattala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $973 in Wattala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,355 in Wattala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 292% more expensive than in Wattala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Wattala is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$4.36 LKR 1,429

296.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$25.60 LKR 8,399

147.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$7.77 LKR 2,549

46.59%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.57 LKR 843

24.12%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.74 LKR 244

231.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.27 LKR 88.9

551.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.23 LKR 732

60.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.11 LKR 1,019

9.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.56 LKR 511

-20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.57 LKR 188

247.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.79 LKR 260

92.41%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$1.64 LKR 539

146.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$13.01 LKR 4,269

4.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$5.15 LKR 1,690

62.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$7.37 LKR 2,417

147.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$6.88 LKR 2,257

-66.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.87 LKR 287

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$4.22 LKR 1,384

-55.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.29 LKR 422

103.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.04 LKR 342

84.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.79 LKR 260

164.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.96 LKR 316

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.48 LKR 158

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$10.53 LKR 3,455

-35.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$13.81 LKR 4,530

-58.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.92 LKR 630

-28.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.82 LKR 925

-21.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.22 LKR 72.3

990.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.42 LKR 137

892.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.32 LKR 106

256.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$0.94 LKR 308

1780.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.20 LKR 392

93.33%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$31.0K LKR 10.2M

13.82%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$42.7K LKR 14.0M

-2.84%

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

$170 €147

$55.2 LKR 18.1K

208.68%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$4.21 LKR 1,381

359.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$20.59 LKR 6,754

63.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$13.57 LKR 4,452

254.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$4.54 LKR 1,488

338.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$3.09 LKR 1,015

221.04%

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

$717 €617

$37.33 LKR 12.2K

1821.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$1,220 LKR 400.3K

1332.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$19.95 LKR 6,544

425.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$16.82 LKR 5,518

179.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$78.2 LKR 25.6K

32.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$42.84 LKR 14.1K

189.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$105 LKR 34.6K

1491.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$60.0 LKR 19.7K

2019.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$246 LKR 80.7K

1113.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$179 LKR 58.8K

1011.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

12.69

-70.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Wattala: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $105 in Wattala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $26.00 in Wattala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $238 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 292% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $590 including rent). Wattala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Lisbon and $886 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $105 in Wattala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $590 in Wattala – a 292% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $590 in Wattala versus $2,316 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 292% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.