Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Battaramulla

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.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Battaramulla
Learn more

Battaramulla Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Battaramulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Battaramulla

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

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

Colombo $804
Battaramulla $532

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

Colombo $1,240
Battaramulla $862

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

Colombo $1,675
Battaramulla $1,192

Colombo costs about 51% more than Battaramulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,243

$3.89 LKR 1,292

-3.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.72 LKR 8,217

$24.80 LKR 8,246

-0.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,528

$7.59 LKR 2,524

0.13%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 814

$2.49 LKR 827

-1.61%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.67 LKR 222

1.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.27 LKR 90.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 739

$2.14 LKR 711

3.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,020

$3.00 LKR 997

2.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.57 LKR 521

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.52 LKR 174

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$0.77 LKR 254

3.90%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$1.63 LKR 543

4.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 LKR 4,626

$13.59 LKR 4,517

2.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,590

$4.84 LKR 1,608

-1.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,480

$7.50 LKR 2,493

-0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,126

$6.39 LKR 2,123

0.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.81 LKR 268

4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

$4.48 LKR 1,489

-4.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

$1.26 LKR 419

5.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

$1.03 LKR 343

-2.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.82 LKR 271

-1.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.88 LKR 292

5.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 LKR 3,435

$10.26 LKR 3,410

0.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,279

$12.99 LKR 4,318

-0.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 642

$1.88 LKR 624

2.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 999

$2.96 LKR 984

1.35%

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

$0.41 LKR 136

-2.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 312

$0.93 LKR 308

1.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.32 LKR 440

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

-1.39%

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

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

-1.16%

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

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

$57.5 LKR 19.1K

2.28%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

$4.13 LKR 1,373

1.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,853

$20.94 LKR 6,961

-1.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,611

$30.05 LKR 9,989

-33.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

$6.11 LKR 2,032

-4.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 LKR 1,469

$4.62 LKR 1,538

-4.33%

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

$38.34 LKR 12.7K

-0.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

$1,180 LKR 392.2K

2.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.77 LKR 5,907

$18.25 LKR 6,066

-2.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,525

$16.70 LKR 5,552

-0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

$78.3 LKR 26.0K

-0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

$41.32 LKR 13.7K

2.18%

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 Colombo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Battaramulla: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$275 34.2%

Battaramulla

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$235 29.2%

Battaramulla

$234 44% 0.5% $1.2

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.8%

Battaramulla

$104 19.6% 1% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Battaramulla

$83 15.5% 1.3% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Battaramulla

$70 13.1% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$29 3.6%

Battaramulla

$39 7.4% 36.8% $11

Getting Around

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

Battaramulla

$2.2 * 0.4% 75.7% $6.7

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 in Colombo versus $25 in Battaramulla. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Colombo vs $234 in Battaramulla – so Battaramulla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Battaramulla

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

20,000

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Colombo Battaramulla 8 km

From you

Colombo
Battaramulla

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 Battaramulla: 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 $1,206 per month in Colombo and $797 in Battaramulla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $804 in Colombo and $532 in Battaramulla. That makes Battaramulla about 34% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $38 per month in Colombo and $38 in Battaramulla. 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.