Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Badulla

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.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
Learn more

Badulla Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$541

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Badulla

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 Badulla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Colombo $804
Badulla $541

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

Colombo $1,240
Badulla $870

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

Colombo $1,675
Badulla $1,199

Living in Colombo is roughly 49% more expensive than in Badulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,243

$3.70 LKR 1,230

1.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.72 LKR 8,217

$24.42 LKR 8,118

1.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,528

$7.50 LKR 2,492

1.33%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 814

$2.46 LKR 818

-0.41%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.72 LKR 238

-5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.27 LKR 89.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 739

$2.22 LKR 738

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,020

$3.08 LKR 1,025

-0.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.63 LKR 543

-3.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.53 LKR 177

1.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$0.62 LKR 206

29.03%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$1.65 LKR 548

3.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 LKR 4,626

$13.58 LKR 4,515

2.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,590

$3.54 LKR 1,176

35.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,480

$7.37 LKR 2,451

1.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,126

$6.68 LKR 2,222

-4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.81 LKR 268

4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

$4.50 LKR 1,497

-5.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

$1.28 LKR 425

3.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

$1.00 LKR 333

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.82 LKR 274

-1.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.94 LKR 314

-1.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.43 LKR 142

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 LKR 3,435

$10.29 LKR 3,422

0.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,279

$12.58 LKR 4,183

2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 642

$1.91 LKR 634

1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 999

$2.94 LKR 976

2.04%

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)

$0.40 LKR 134

$0.38 LKR 126

5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.37 LKR 124

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 312

$0.93 LKR 310

1.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.39 LKR 461

-5.04%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

-2.29%

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

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

$40.8K LKR 13.6M

-2.72%

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

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

$59.2 LKR 19.7K

-0.66%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

$4.29 LKR 1,425

-2.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,853

$20.84 LKR 6,929

-1.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,611

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 LKR 1,469

$4.52 LKR 1,503

-2.21%

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

$37.89 LKR 12.6K

0.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

$1,204 LKR 400.2K

0.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.77 LKR 5,907

$18.20 LKR 6,052

-2.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,525

$16.65 LKR 5,536

-0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

$77.4 LKR 25.7K

0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

$41.51 LKR 13.8K

1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 LKR 194.7K

$74.7 LKR 24.8K

684.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 LKR 91.4K

$45.64 LKR 15.2K

502.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 LKR 557.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 LKR 163.0K

$90.2 LKR 30.0K

443.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,636 LKR 1.2M

$4,517 LKR 1.5M

-19.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 385.0K

$759 LKR 252.4K

52.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$259 LKR 86.0K

$227 LKR 75.5K

13.86%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Badulla: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$275 34.2%

Badulla

$46 8.4% 83.4% $229

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$235 29.2%

Badulla

$228 42.1% 3% $7

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.8%

Badulla

$103 19% 0.3% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Badulla

$84 15.6% 0.8% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Badulla

$69 12.8% 0.4% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$29 3.6%

Badulla

$9 * 1.7% 68.5% $20

Getting Around

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

Badulla

$2.2 * 0.4% 74.6% $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 $586 in Colombo and $75 in Badulla. 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: $25 in Colombo vs $24 in Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $228 per month, with Badulla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Badulla

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

110,000

💱 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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Between locations

Colombo Badulla 130 km

From you

Colombo
Badulla

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 Badulla: 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.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Colombo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

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

Childcare runs $38 in Colombo versus $38 in Badulla. 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.