Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Anuradhapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Anuradhapura: $506 a month against $803 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Anuradhapura
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Anuradhapura Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$803

/mo nomad

Anuradhapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Anuradhapura

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

A single person spends $803 per month in Colombo vs $506 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Colombo $803
Anuradhapura $506

A couple spends around $1,208 per month in Colombo vs $820 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Colombo $1,208
Anuradhapura $820

A family of three spends $1,614 per month in Colombo vs $1,134 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Colombo $1,614
Anuradhapura $1,134

Colombo costs about 59% more than Anuradhapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Colombo and Anuradhapura are more affordable than the global median – Colombo 41% lower, Anuradhapura 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 LKR 1,250

$3.75 LKR 1,242

0.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.25 LKR 8,362

$24.57 LKR 8,139

2.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 LKR 2,519

$7.52 LKR 2,490

1.20%

Cappuccino

$2.58 LKR 856

$2.44 LKR 810

5.74%

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

$0.68 LKR 225

$0.68 LKR 227

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.6

$0.27 LKR 89.9

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 LKR 748

$2.23 LKR 738

1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 995

$2.99 LKR 990

0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 541

$1.61 LKR 534

1.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 187

$0.57 LKR 189

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.81 LKR 269

-2.47%

Eggs

$1.70 LKR 563

$1.63 LKR 541

4.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 LKR 4,522

$13.86 LKR 4,590

-1.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 LKR 1,604

$4.92 LKR 1,630

-1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 LKR 2,525

$7.26 LKR 2,405

4.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.51 LKR 2,156

$6.67 LKR 2,208

-2.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.86 LKR 286

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 LKR 1,487

$4.46 LKR 1,476

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 LKR 443

$1.26 LKR 418

6.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 329

$1.00 LKR 330

-1.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$0.83 LKR 274

-1.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 LKR 305

$0.93 LKR 308

-1.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.43 LKR 142

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 LKR 3,370

$10.39 LKR 3,441

-2.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.69 LKR 4,204

$13.07 LKR 4,330

-2.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 LKR 621

$1.96 LKR 648

-4.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 973

$2.90 LKR 961

1.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 LKR 57.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.01 LKR 2,322

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 124

$0.40 LKR 134

-5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.37 LKR 123

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.88 LKR 292

5.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 LKR 454

$1.34 LKR 443

2.24%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

-0.21%

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

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

3.09%

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

$59.8 LKR 19.8K

$58.5 LKR 19.4K

2.34%

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

$4.36 LKR 1,444

$4.23 LKR 1,401

3.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.96 LKR 6,942

$21.09 LKR 6,984

-0.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.22 LKR 4,710

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 LKR 1,870

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 LKR 1,525

$4.41 LKR 1,460

4.31%

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

$37.19 LKR 12.3K

$38.06 LKR 12.6K

-2.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,224 LKR 405.3K

$1,224 LKR 405.4K

-0.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.18 LKR 6,020

$18.46 LKR 6,115

-1.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.85 LKR 5,580

$16.65 LKR 5,515

1.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 LKR 25.7K

$80.4 LKR 26.6K

-3.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.83 LKR 13.9K

$41.98 LKR 13.9K

-0.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 LKR 187.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 LKR 90.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 LKR 498.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 LKR 140.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,742 LKR 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 LKR 384.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$253 LKR 83.9K

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 Colombo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Anuradhapura: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$274 34.1%

Anuradhapura

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$237 29.5%

Anuradhapura

$237 46.9% 0.3% $0.8

Eating Out

Colombo

$105 13.1%

Anuradhapura

$103 20.3% 2.1% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$85 10.6%

Anuradhapura

$84 16.6% 1.6% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.7%

Anuradhapura

$71 14% 2.1% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$23 2.9%

Anuradhapura

$8.8 * 1.7% 62.4% $15

Getting Around

Colombo

$10 1.2%

Anuradhapura

$2.3 * 0.5% 77.3% $7.7

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 $25.00 in Colombo versus $25.00 in Anuradhapura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $237 – making Colombo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Anuradhapura

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

63,200

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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From you

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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

Colombo vs Anuradhapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $803 in Colombo, $506 in Anuradhapura – roughly 59% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,205 per month in Colombo and $759 in Anuradhapura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Colombo and $25.00 in Anuradhapura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Colombo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Anuradhapura, where all-in costs run around $506, than in Colombo at $803. In Anuradhapura 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 $506 in Anuradhapura to $803 in Colombo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Anuradhapura. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Colombo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.