Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Arugam Bay

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Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$796

/mo nomad

Arugam Bay

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 LKR 1,496

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.54 LKR 8,119

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 LKR 2,483

Cappuccino

$2.49 LKR 825

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

$0.72 LKR 238

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 LKR 740

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,019

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 LKR 514

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 267

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 540

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 LKR 4,625

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 LKR 1,657

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.29 LKR 2,412

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 LKR 2,212

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 278

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 LKR 1,444

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 LKR 405

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 329

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 307

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 LKR 154

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.37 LKR 3,432

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 LKR 4,487

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 LKR 620

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 984

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 60.7

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.13 LKR 2,358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 LKR 114

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 LKR 314

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 LKR 462

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

$37.2K LKR 12.3M

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

$40.5K LKR 13.4M

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

$54.8 LKR 18.1K

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

$4.17 LKR 1,381

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.98 LKR 6,942

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.81 LKR 4,568

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.62 LKR 1,861

Cinema Ticket

$4.35 LKR 1,439

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

$37.68 LKR 12.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,201 LKR 397.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.01 LKR 5,959

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.83 LKR 5,570

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.2 LKR 25.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.66 LKR 13.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 LKR 193.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 LKR 90.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 LKR 500.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 LKR 144.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,694 LKR 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,169 LKR 386.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 LKR 85.1K

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 5, 2026

Last update for Arugam Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$274 34.1%

Arugam Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$238 29.6%

Arugam Bay

–

Eating Out

Colombo

$110 13.7%

Arugam Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$80 10%

Arugam Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$70 8.7%

Arugam Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$23 2.8%

Arugam Bay

–

Getting Around

Colombo

$10 1.2%

Arugam Bay

–

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Arugam Bay

🕒 Local time

12:19 12:19 PM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

5,000

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Colombo Arugam Bay 220 km

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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 Arugam Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Arugam Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Arugam Bay. 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.