Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Battaramulla and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Battaramulla: $532 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Colombo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

26

Cost of Living Index in Battaramulla
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Battaramulla Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index

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Battaramulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$532

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $532 per month in Battaramulla vs $804 in Colombo, rent included.

Battaramulla $532
Colombo $804

A couple spends around $862 per month in Battaramulla vs $1,240 in Colombo, rent included.

Battaramulla $862
Colombo $1,240

A family of three spends $1,192 per month in Battaramulla vs $1,675 in Colombo, rent included.

Battaramulla $1,192
Colombo $1,675

Battaramulla is about 34% cheaper than Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Battaramulla and Colombo are more affordable than the global median – Battaramulla 61% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 LKR 1,292

$3.74 LKR 1,243

4.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.80 LKR 8,246

$24.72 LKR 8,217

0.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 LKR 2,524

$7.60 LKR 2,528

-0.13%

Cappuccino

$2.49 LKR 827

$2.45 LKR 814

1.63%

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

$0.67 LKR 222

$0.68 LKR 226

-1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.0

$0.27 LKR 89.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 LKR 711

$2.22 LKR 739

-3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 997

$3.07 LKR 1,020

-2.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 521

$1.57 LKR 520

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 174

$0.54 LKR 178

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 254

$0.80 LKR 266

-3.75%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 543

$1.71 LKR 568

-4.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 LKR 4,517

$13.92 LKR 4,626

-2.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 LKR 1,608

$4.78 LKR 1,590

1.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 LKR 2,493

$7.46 LKR 2,480

0.54%

Apples (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,123

$6.40 LKR 2,126

-0.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 268

$0.85 LKR 283

-4.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.48 LKR 1,489

$4.26 LKR 1,416

5.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 LKR 419

$1.33 LKR 443

-5.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 LKR 343

$1.00 LKR 334

3.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$0.81 LKR 270

1.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 292

$0.93 LKR 308

-5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.26 LKR 3,410

$10.33 LKR 3,435

-0.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.99 LKR 4,318

$12.87 LKR 4,279

0.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 LKR 624

$1.93 LKR 642

-2.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 LKR 984

$3.00 LKR 999

-1.33%

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)

$0.41 LKR 136

$0.40 LKR 134

2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.94 LKR 312

-1.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 440

$1.32 LKR 438

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

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

1.41%

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

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

1.17%

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

$57.5 LKR 19.1K

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

-2.23%

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

$4.13 LKR 1,373

$4.20 LKR 1,397

-1.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.94 LKR 6,961

$20.61 LKR 6,853

1.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.05 LKR 9,989

$19.88 LKR 6,611

51.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.11 LKR 2,032

$5.81 LKR 1,932

5.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 LKR 1,538

$4.42 LKR 1,469

4.52%

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

$38.34 LKR 12.7K

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

0.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,180 LKR 392.2K

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

-2.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.25 LKR 6,066

$17.77 LKR 5,907

2.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.70 LKR 5,552

$16.62 LKR 5,525

0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 LKR 26.0K

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

0.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 LKR 13.7K

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

-2.13%

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)

$259 LKR 86.0K

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 Battaramulla: October 24, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Battaramulla

$234 44%

Colombo

$235 29.2% 0.5% $1.2

Eating Out

Battaramulla

$104 19.6%

Colombo

$103 12.8% 1% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Battaramulla

$83 15.5%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 1.3% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Battaramulla

$70 13.1%

Colombo

$69 8.6% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Battaramulla

$39 7.4%

Colombo

$29 3.6% 26.9% $11

Getting Around

Battaramulla

$2.2 * 0.4%

Colombo

$8.8 1.1% 311% $6.7

Accommodation & Living

Battaramulla

- * 0%

Colombo

$275 34.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Battaramulla versus $25 in Colombo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $235 – making Battaramulla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Battaramulla

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

23:33 11:33 PM

Same time as Battaramulla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

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

Battaramulla Colombo 8 km

From you

Battaramulla
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

Battaramulla vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo costs about 51% more than Battaramulla, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $797 per month in Battaramulla and $1,206 in Colombo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $532 in Battaramulla and $804 in Colombo. That’s a gap of about 51%.

Kindergarten costs $38 per month in Battaramulla and $38 in Colombo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Battaramulla, where all-in costs run around $532, than in Colombo at $804. In Battaramulla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Colombo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Colombo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $532 in Battaramulla to $804 in Colombo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.