Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Negombo and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Negombo: $402 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Negombo
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$402
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Negombo and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Negombo and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $402 in Negombo versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Negombo $402
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $649 in Negombo versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Negombo $649
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $897 in Negombo versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Negombo $897
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Negombo costs roughly 82% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Negombo is 70% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Negombo
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.48 LKR 1,483
$16.50 €14.67
-72.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.63 LKR 5,508
$61.3 €54.5
-72.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.59 LKR 2,516
$11.27 €10.03
-32.65%
Cappuccino
$1.23 LKR 406
$3.06 €2.72
-59.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 LKR 228
$2.26 €2.01
-69.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 LKR 82.5
$1.73 €1.54
-85.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.15 LKR 712
$3.39 €3.02
-36.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 LKR 978
$3.40 €3.02
-13.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Negombo
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 LKR 521
$1.12 €1.00
40.18%
White Bread (500g)
$0.53 LKR 174
$1.86 €1.65
-71.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.74 LKR 245
$1.53 €1.36
-51.63%
Eggs
$1.64 LKR 543
$3.96 €3.53
-58.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.01 LKR 4,642
$12.76 €11.35
9.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.12 LKR 1,366
$7.90 €7.02
-47.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.00 LKR 1,986
$16.97 €15.09
-64.64%
Apples (1kg)
$1.77 LKR 585
$2.27 €2.02
-22.03%
Banana (1kg)
$0.69 LKR 229
$1.75 €1.55
-60.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 LKR 738
$1.85 €1.64
20.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.19 LKR 395
$2.57 €2.28
-53.70%
Potato (1kg)
$0.73 LKR 242
$1.86 €1.65
-60.75%
Onion (1kg)
$0.81 LKR 267
$2.02 €1.80
-59.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 LKR 308
$1.44 €1.28
-35.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 LKR 142
$0.82 €0.73
-47.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.14 LKR 3,359
$6.56 €5.83
54.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.52 LKR 4,480
$5.62 €5.00
140.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 LKR 646
$1.28 €1.14
52.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 LKR 997
$2.07 €1.84
45.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Negombo
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 LKR 94.9
$2.35 €2.09
-87.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.18 €39.30
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.38 LKR 125
$3.99 €3.55
-90.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 LKR 124
$1.09 €0.97
-66.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.90 LKR 297
$16.64 €14.81
-94.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.00 LKR 332
$2.28 €2.03
-56.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.3K LKR 12.3M
$33.7K €30.0K
10.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K LKR 13.5M
$39.3K €35.0K
3.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Negombo
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$25.65 LKR 8,497
$167 €149
-84.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.21 LKR 1,395
$18.80 €16.72
-77.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.85 LKR 6,908
$33.09 €29.43
-36.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Negombo
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.27 LKR 5,059
$46.01 €40.93
-66.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.07 LKR 3,004
$19.19 €17.07
-52.74%
Cinema Ticket
$2.45 LKR 813
$9.84 €8.75
-75.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Negombo
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$37.97 LKR 12.6K
$677 €602
-94.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$446 LKR 147.9K
$16.9K €15.1K
-97.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Negombo
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$8.82 LKR 2,920
$101 €90.1
-91.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.87 LKR 5,586
$45.76 €40.70
-63.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$36.78 LKR 12.2K
$100.0 €88.9
-63.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$24.22 LKR 8,023
$123 €109
-80.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Negombo
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,614 €1,436
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,197 €1,065
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,862 €2,545
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,990 €1,770
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,577 €6,740
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,307 €3,831
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Negombo
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$180 LKR 59.7K
$1,588 €1,412
-88.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.69
3.85
229.61%

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

Last update for Negombo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Negombo
$194
Lisbon
$269 38.5% $75
Eating Out
Negombo
$94
Lisbon
$242 158% $148
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Negombo
$51
Lisbon
$219 333% $169
Clothing & Footwear
Negombo
$39
Lisbon
$166 327% $127
Sport & Entertainment
Negombo
$20
Lisbon
$66 226% $46
Getting Around
Negombo
$3.4 *
Lisbon
$63 1758% $60
Accommodation & Living
Negombo
- *
Lisbon
$1.2K

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Lisbon pays 781% 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: $17.00 in Negombo vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $269 per month, with Negombo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇱🇰 Negombo
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
15:24 3:24 PM
10:54 10:54 AM
4 h 30 min behind Negombo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
142,449
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Negombo Lisbon 9,420 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Negombo
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Negombo vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Negombo and in Lisbon?
Negombo and Lisbon differ by about 454% in total monthly costs ($402 vs $2,223 including rent). Negombo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 781% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Negombo or Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $402 per month in Negombo versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 454% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $402 in Negombo versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Negombo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Negombo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Negombo and Lisbon?
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 Negombo or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Negombo and Lisbon 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: Negombo or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Negombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 454% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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