Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Bentota

For one person, living is cheaper in Bentota: $772 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $380 less a year. The total is higher in Colombo despite lower rent and utilities.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Bentota
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Bentota Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Bentota

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Colombo versus $772 in Bentota.

Colombo $804
Bentota $772

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Colombo versus $888 in Bentota.

Colombo $1,240
Bentota $888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,675 in Colombo versus $1,005 in Bentota.

Colombo $1,675
Bentota $1,005

Living in Colombo is roughly 4% more expensive than in Bentota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Bentota 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,243

$3.80 LKR 1,264

-1.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.72 LKR 8,217

$12.01 LKR 3,992

105.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,528

$7.52 LKR 2,500

1.06%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 814

$2.39 LKR 795

2.51%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.72 LKR 241

-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

$2.24 LKR 744

-0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,020

$3.00 LKR 996

2.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.62 LKR 539

-3.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.53 LKR 176

1.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$0.81 LKR 269

-1.23%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$1.70 LKR 565

0.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 LKR 4,626

$13.71 LKR 4,559

1.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,590

$3.31 LKR 1,100

44.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,480

$4.40 LKR 1,464

69.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,126

$6.71 LKR 2,229

-4.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.74 LKR 247

14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

$4.27 LKR 1,421

-0.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

$0.88 LKR 294

51.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

$1.04 LKR 347

-3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.79 LKR 262

2.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.93 LKR 309

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.46 LKR 153

-2.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 LKR 3,435

$10.18 LKR 3,383

1.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,279

$12.92 LKR 4,296

-0.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 642

$1.92 LKR 637

0.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 999

$3.05 LKR 1,015

-1.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 59.3

$0.19 LKR 62.3

-5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.96 LKR 1,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$0.37 LKR 124

8.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.31 LKR 104

12.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 312

$0.94 LKR 313

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

$44.2K LKR 14.7M

-1.68%

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

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

$41.2K LKR 13.7M

-3.62%

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

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

$57.9 LKR 19.3K

1.61%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

$2.30 LKR 764

82.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,853

$9.30 LKR 3,093

121.61%

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

$4.65 LKR 1,546

-4.95%

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

$38.46 LKR 12.8K

-0.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

$1,196 LKR 397.5K

1.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.77 LKR 5,907

$17.92 LKR 5,959

-0.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,525

$16.78 LKR 5,577

-0.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

$78.8 LKR 26.2K

-1.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

$42.02 LKR 14.0K

0.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 LKR 194.7K

$553 LKR 184.0K

5.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 LKR 91.4K

$300 LKR 99.8K

-8.33%

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 Bentota: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$275 34.2%

Bentota

$300 38.9% 9.1% $25

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$235 29.2%

Bentota

$217 28.2% 7.5% $18

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.8%

Bentota

$103 13.3% 0.3% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Bentota

$70 9% 16.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Bentota

$70 9.1% 0.8% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$29 3.6%

Bentota

$9.3 * 1.2% 67.6% $19

Getting Around

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

Bentota

$2.7 * 0.4% 69.6% $6.2

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 $553 in Bentota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25 in Colombo vs $12 in Bentota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $217 per month, with Bentota cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Bentota

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

37,000

💱 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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Colombo Bentota 60 km

From you

Colombo
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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 Bentota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bentota is about 4% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,206 in Colombo and $1,158 in Bentota to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $586 in Colombo versus $553 in Bentota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $804 per month in Colombo versus $772 in Bentota – Bentota is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Bentota 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.