Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Bandarawela

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandarawela: $451 a month against $811 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Bandarawela
Learn more

Bandarawela Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$811

/mo nomad

Bandarawela

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Bandarawela

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

A single person spends $811 per month in Colombo vs $451 in Bandarawela, rent included.

Colombo $811
Bandarawela $451

A couple spends around $1,298 per month in Colombo vs $743 in Bandarawela, rent included.

Colombo $1,298
Bandarawela $743

A family of three spends $1,785 per month in Colombo vs $1,034 in Bandarawela, rent included.

Colombo $1,785
Bandarawela $1,034

Colombo costs about 80% more than Bandarawela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Colombo and Bandarawela are more affordable than the global median – Colombo 40% lower, Bandarawela 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 LKR 1,304

$1.32 LKR 439

196.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.58 LKR 8,177

$24.43 LKR 8,126

0.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 LKR 2,458

$7.60 LKR 2,527

-2.76%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 813

$1.49 LKR 494

63.76%

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

$0.67 LKR 222

$0.61 LKR 204

9.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 83.1

$0.27 LKR 90.5

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 LKR 710

$2.16 LKR 719

-0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 LKR 1,007

$2.42 LKR 806

25.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 525

$1.62 LKR 539

-2.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$0.34 LKR 115

55.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.62 LKR 206

30.65%

Eggs

$1.62 LKR 539

$1.05 LKR 350

54.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 LKR 5,035

$15.54 LKR 5,170

-2.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 LKR 1,701

$3.57 LKR 1,189

43.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 LKR 2,547

$7.77 LKR 2,584

-1.42%

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 LKR 2,201

$6.75 LKR 2,246

-1.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 293

$0.57 LKR 190

54.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 LKR 1,382

$4.15 LKR 1,379

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 425

$1.28 LKR 427

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 347

$0.86 LKR 286

20.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$0.55 LKR 183

49.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LKR 404

$1.25 LKR 417

-3.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.42 LKR 140

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 LKR 3,338

$9.61 LKR 3,196

4.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.69 LKR 4,555

$13.75 LKR 4,573

-0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$1.89 LKR 627

2.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 987

$2.90 LKR 966

2.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 58.8

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.15 LKR 2,709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.37 LKR 124

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 LKR 112

$0.31 LKR 103

9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 296

$0.87 LKR 291

2.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 440

$1.37 LKR 455

-3.65%

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

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

$43.3K LKR 14.4M

0.54%

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

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

$46.1K LKR 15.3M

-2.15%

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

$57.7 LKR 19.2K

$56.6 LKR 18.8K

1.89%

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

$4.28 LKR 1,424

$3.36 LKR 1,117

27.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 LKR 6,872

$5.96 LKR 1,982

246.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.37 LKR 6,775

$6.04 LKR 2,010

237.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.14 LKR 2,043

$4.49 LKR 1,495

36.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.63 LKR 1,541

$2.37 LKR 787

95.36%

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

$40.83 LKR 13.6K

$40.60 LKR 13.5K

0.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

$17.3K LKR 5.8M

-0.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.12 LKR 6,027

$18.42 LKR 6,125

-1.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.34 LKR 5,768

$17.70 LKR 5,887

-2.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

$80.2 LKR 26.7K

-3.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.29 LKR 13.7K

$42.25 LKR 14.1K

-2.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 LKR 187.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 LKR 90.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 LKR 562.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 LKR 191.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,735 LKR 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 385.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$248 LKR 82.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Colombo: October 31, 2026

Last update for Bandarawela: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$271 33.4%

Bandarawela

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$244 30.1%

Bandarawela

$231 51.2% 5.5% $13

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.7%

Bandarawela

$70 15.6% 31.9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$83 10.2%

Bandarawela

$66 14.6% 20.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Bandarawela

$71 15.8% 2.7% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$30 3.7%

Bandarawela

$11 2.4% 63.6% $19

Getting Around

Colombo

$11 1.3%

Bandarawela

$1.9 * 0.4% 82.5% $9

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 Colombo versus $24 in Bandarawela. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $231 – making Bandarawela the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Bandarawela

🕒 Local time

14:28 2:28 PM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

8,000

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Colombo Bandarawela 130 km

From you

Colombo
Bandarawela

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 Bandarawela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $811 in Colombo, $451 in Bandarawela – Bandarawela comes out roughly 44% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,217 per month in Colombo and $677 in Bandarawela. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Colombo and $24 in Bandarawela. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Colombo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $811 in Colombo and $451 in Bandarawela, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Colombo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $451 in Bandarawela to $811 in Colombo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.