Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Badulla and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Badulla: $541 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
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Badulla Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index

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Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$541

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Badulla 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 Badulla and in Colombo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $541 in Badulla versus $804 in Colombo.

Badulla $541
Colombo $804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $870 in Badulla versus $1,240 in Colombo.

Badulla $870
Colombo $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,199 in Badulla versus $1,675 in Colombo.

Badulla $1,199
Colombo $1,675

Living in Badulla costs roughly 33% less than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Badulla 60% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 LKR 1,230

$3.74 LKR 1,243

-1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.42 LKR 8,118

$24.72 LKR 8,217

-1.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 LKR 2,492

$7.60 LKR 2,528

-1.32%

Cappuccino

$2.46 LKR 818

$2.45 LKR 814

0.41%

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

$0.72 LKR 238

$0.68 LKR 226

5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$0.27 LKR 89.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 738

$2.22 LKR 739

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,025

$3.07 LKR 1,020

0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 543

$1.57 LKR 520

3.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 177

$0.54 LKR 178

-1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 206

$0.80 LKR 266

-22.50%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 548

$1.71 LKR 568

-3.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 LKR 4,515

$13.92 LKR 4,626

-2.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 LKR 1,176

$4.78 LKR 1,590

-25.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 LKR 2,451

$7.46 LKR 2,480

-1.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.68 LKR 2,222

$6.40 LKR 2,126

4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 268

$0.85 LKR 283

-4.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 LKR 1,497

$4.26 LKR 1,416

5.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 425

$1.33 LKR 443

-3.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 333

$1.00 LKR 334

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 274

$0.81 LKR 270

1.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 314

$0.93 LKR 308

1.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

$0.45 LKR 151

-4.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.29 LKR 3,422

$10.33 LKR 3,435

-0.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 LKR 4,183

$12.87 LKR 4,279

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 634

$1.93 LKR 642

-1.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 976

$3.00 LKR 999

-2.00%

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)

$0.38 LKR 126

$0.40 LKR 134

-5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.35 LKR 116

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 310

$0.94 LKR 312

-1.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 LKR 461

$1.32 LKR 438

5.30%

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

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

2.34%

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

$40.8K LKR 13.6M

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

2.79%

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

$59.2 LKR 19.7K

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

0.66%

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

$4.29 LKR 1,425

$4.20 LKR 1,397

2.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.84 LKR 6,929

$20.61 LKR 6,853

1.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,611

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 LKR 1,503

$4.42 LKR 1,469

2.26%

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

$37.89 LKR 12.6K

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

-0.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,204 LKR 400.2K

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

-0.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.20 LKR 6,052

$17.77 LKR 5,907

2.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.65 LKR 5,536

$16.62 LKR 5,525

0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 LKR 25.7K

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

-0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.51 LKR 13.8K

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

-1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$74.7 LKR 24.8K

$586 LKR 194.7K

-87.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$45.64 LKR 15.2K

$275 LKR 91.4K

-83.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 LKR 557.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.2 LKR 30.0K

$490 LKR 163.0K

-81.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,517 LKR 1.5M

$3,636 LKR 1.2M

24.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$759 LKR 252.4K

$1,158 LKR 385.0K

-34.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 LKR 75.5K

$259 LKR 86.0K

-12.18%

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 Badulla: October 26, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Badulla

$228 42.1%

Colombo

$235 29.2% 3.1% $7

Eating Out

Badulla

$103 19%

Colombo

$103 12.8% 0.3% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Badulla

$84 15.6%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 0.8% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Badulla

$69 12.8%

Colombo

$69 8.6% 0.4% $0.3

Accommodation & Living

Badulla

$46 8.4%

Colombo

$275 34.2% 503% $229

Sport & Entertainment

Badulla

$9 * 1.7%

Colombo

$29 3.6% 218% $20

Getting Around

Badulla

$2.2 * 0.4%

Colombo

$8.8 1.1% 294% $6.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $75 in Badulla and $586 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Colombo pays 14% 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: $24 in Badulla vs $25 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $235 per month, with Badulla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Badulla

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

02:17 2:17 AM

Same time as Badulla

🌤 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Badulla Colombo 130 km

From you

Badulla
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

Badulla vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is about 33% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Badulla. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $75 in Badulla versus $586 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $24 versus $25 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Badulla 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 – Badulla wins on affordability, Colombo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.