Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amparai and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Amparai: $502 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Amparai
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Amparai Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index

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Amparai

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$502

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amparai and in Colombo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $502 in Amparai versus $804 in Colombo.

Amparai $502
Colombo $804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $814 in Amparai versus $1,240 in Colombo.

Amparai $814
Colombo $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,126 in Amparai versus $1,675 in Colombo.

Amparai $1,126
Colombo $1,675

Living in Amparai costs roughly 38% less than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Amparai 63% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 LKR 1,261

$3.74 LKR 1,243

1.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.61 LKR 8,183

$24.72 LKR 8,217

-0.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 LKR 2,467

$7.60 LKR 2,528

-2.37%

Cappuccino

$2.48 LKR 824

$2.45 LKR 814

1.22%

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

$0.67 LKR 221

$0.68 LKR 226

-1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.4

$0.27 LKR 89.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 749

$2.22 LKR 739

1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 978

$3.07 LKR 1,020

-4.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 LKR 544

$1.57 LKR 520

4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$0.54 LKR 178

-1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$0.80 LKR 266

1.25%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 573

$1.71 LKR 568

0.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.94 LKR 4,636

$13.92 LKR 4,626

0.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 LKR 1,666

$4.78 LKR 1,590

4.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 LKR 2,529

$7.46 LKR 2,480

2.01%

Apples (1kg)

$6.65 LKR 2,210

$6.40 LKR 2,126

3.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 LKR 287

$0.85 LKR 283

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 LKR 1,429

$4.26 LKR 1,416

0.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 LKR 422

$1.33 LKR 443

-4.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$1.00 LKR 334

5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 276

$0.81 LKR 270

2.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 314

$0.93 LKR 308

1.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 139

$0.45 LKR 151

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.34 LKR 3,439

$10.33 LKR 3,435

0.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 LKR 4,298

$12.87 LKR 4,279

0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 LKR 653

$1.93 LKR 642

1.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 973

$3.00 LKR 999

-2.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 59.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.96 LKR 1,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 125

$0.40 LKR 134

-7.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.35 LKR 116

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 313

$0.94 LKR 312

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 447

$1.32 LKR 438

1.52%

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

$44.5K LKR 14.8M

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

2.41%

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

$41.2K LKR 13.7M

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

3.79%

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

$59.7 LKR 19.8K

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

1.39%

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

$4.23 LKR 1,407

$4.20 LKR 1,397

0.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.72 LKR 6,887

$20.61 LKR 6,853

0.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,611

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

Cinema Ticket

$1.84 LKR 610

$4.42 LKR 1,469

-58.37%

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

$37.07 LKR 12.3K

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

-2.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,226 LKR 407.8K

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

1.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.05 LKR 6,002

$17.77 LKR 5,907

1.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.88 LKR 5,611

$16.62 LKR 5,525

1.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 LKR 25.8K

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

-0.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.12 LKR 14.0K

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

-0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 LKR 194.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 LKR 91.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 LKR 557.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 LKR 163.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,636 LKR 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 385.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$91.8 LKR 30.5K

$259 LKR 86.0K

-64.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

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

Last update for Amparai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Amparai

$239 47.5%

Colombo

$235 29.2% 1.5% $3.5

Eating Out

Amparai

$103 20.6%

Colombo

$103 12.8% 0.1% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amparai

$85 16.9%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 1.1% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Amparai

$70 13.9%

Colombo

$69 8.6% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Amparai

$3.7 * 0.7%

Colombo

$29 3.6% 683% $25

Getting Around

Amparai

$2.2 * 0.5%

Colombo

$8.8 1.1% 294% $6.6

Accommodation & Living

Amparai

- * 0%

Colombo

$275 34.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Colombo pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Amparai vs $25 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $239 vs $235, with Colombo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Amparai

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

00:10 12:10 AM

Same time as Amparai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

753,000

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Amparai Colombo 210 km

From you

Amparai
Colombo

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

Amparai vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amparai is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Amparai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $37 in Amparai versus $38 in Colombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $502 per month in Amparai versus $804 in Colombo – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Amparai gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Amparai wins on affordability, Colombo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.