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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $590 in Wattala versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

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

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

Living in Wattala costs roughly 75% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.36 LKR 1,429

$17.30 €14.89

-74.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.60 LKR 8,399

$63.3 €54.4

-59.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 LKR 2,549

$11.39 €9.80

-31.78%

Cappuccino

$2.57 LKR 843

$3.19 €2.75

-19.44%

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

$0.74 LKR 244

$2.45 €2.10

-69.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 88.9

$1.76 €1.52

-84.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 LKR 732

$3.59 €3.09

-37.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 LKR 1,019

$3.39 €2.92

-8.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 511

$1.24 €1.06

25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 188

$1.98 €1.71

-71.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 260

$1.52 €1.31

-48.03%

Eggs

$1.64 LKR 539

$4.04 €3.48

-59.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 LKR 4,269

$13.54 €11.65

-3.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.15 LKR 1,690

$8.39 €7.22

-38.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 LKR 2,417

$18.25 €15.70

-59.62%

Apples (1kg)

$6.88 LKR 2,257

$2.29 €1.97

200.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 287

$1.74 €1.50

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 LKR 1,384

$1.86 €1.60

126.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 422

$2.63 €2.26

-50.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 342

$1.92 €1.65

-45.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 260

$2.09 €1.80

-62.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 LKR 316

$1.44 €1.24

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 LKR 158

$0.84 €0.72

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.53 LKR 3,455

$6.78 €5.83

55.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 LKR 4,530

$5.71 €4.91

141.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 LKR 630

$1.38 €1.18

39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 LKR 925

$2.22 €1.91

27.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 LKR 72.3

$2.40 €2.06

-90.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 LKR 137

$4.17 €3.59

-89.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 LKR 106

$1.14 €0.98

-71.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 308

$17.68 €15.21

-94.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 LKR 392

$2.32 €2.00

-48.28%

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

$31.0K LKR 10.2M

$35.3K €30.4K

-12.15%

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

$42.7K LKR 14.0M

$41.4K €35.7K

2.93%

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

$55.2 LKR 18.1K

$170 €147

-67.60%

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

$4.21 LKR 1,381

$19.34 €16.64

-78.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.59 LKR 6,754

$33.64 €28.95

-38.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.57 LKR 4,452

$48.10 €41.39

-71.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.54 LKR 1,488

$19.90 €17.12

-77.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.09 LKR 1,015

$9.92 €8.54

-68.85%

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

$37.33 LKR 12.2K

$717 €617

-94.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,220 LKR 400.3K

$17.5K €15.0K

-93.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.95 LKR 6,544

$105 €90.2

-80.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.82 LKR 5,518

$46.95 €40.40

-64.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.2 LKR 25.6K

$103 €89.0

-24.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.84 LKR 14.1K

$124 €107

-65.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$105 LKR 34.6K

$1,677 €1,443

-93.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$60.0 LKR 19.7K

$1,271 €1,094

-95.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 LKR 80.7K

$2,985 €2,568

-91.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 LKR 58.8K

$1,992 €1,715

-91.01%

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 %)

12.69

3.79

234.83%

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

Last update for Wattala: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $26.00 in Wattala vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $283 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

Wattala vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wattala and Lisbon differ by about 292% in total monthly costs ($590 vs $2,316 including rent). Wattala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $886 in Wattala and $3,474 in Lisbon 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: $105 in Wattala versus $1,677 in Lisbon. 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 $590 per month in Wattala versus $2,316 in Lisbon – 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, Wattala 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.

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.