Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Dambulla

For one person, living is cheaper in Dambulla: $505 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Dambulla
Learn more

Dambulla Living Index

Jump to prices

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Dambulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$505

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Dambulla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Colombo versus $505 in Dambulla.

Colombo $804
Dambulla $505

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Colombo versus $818 in Dambulla.

Colombo $1,240
Dambulla $818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,675 in Colombo versus $1,131 in Dambulla.

Colombo $1,675
Dambulla $1,131

Living in Colombo is roughly 59% more expensive than in Dambulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Dambulla 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,242

$3.85 LKR 1,281

-2.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.72 LKR 8,214

$25.00 LKR 8,308

-1.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,527

$7.66 LKR 2,545

-0.78%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 814

$2.47 LKR 821

-0.81%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.67 LKR 224

1.49%

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

$2.27 LKR 753

-2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,019

$2.93 LKR 975

4.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.63 LKR 543

-3.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.56 LKR 188

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$0.77 LKR 254

3.90%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 567

$1.63 LKR 542

4.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 LKR 4,625

$13.55 LKR 4,503

2.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,590

$4.92 LKR 1,635

-2.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,480

$7.30 LKR 2,427

2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,126

$6.47 LKR 2,151

-1.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.87 LKR 289

-2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

$4.33 LKR 1,441

-1.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

$1.32 LKR 440

0.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

$1.01 LKR 336

-0.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.79 LKR 261

2.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.87 LKR 289

6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.43 LKR 142

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 LKR 3,434

$10.35 LKR 3,439

-0.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,277

$12.67 LKR 4,213

1.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 642

$1.89 LKR 627

2.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 999

$2.93 LKR 974

2.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 59.3

$0.07 LKR 23.75

157.14%

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

$0.38 LKR 125

-7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 312

$0.87 LKR 289

8.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.37 LKR 456

-3.65%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$43.7K LKR 14.5M

-0.75%

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

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

-3.13%

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

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

$59.8 LKR 19.9K

-1.52%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,396

$4.30 LKR 1,430

-2.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,851

$20.98 LKR 6,974

-1.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,609

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 LKR 1,468

$4.57 LKR 1,520

-3.28%

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

$37.27 LKR 12.4K

2.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.4K

$1,199 LKR 398.4K

1.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.77 LKR 5,905

$18.35 LKR 6,100

-3.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,523

$16.43 LKR 5,460

1.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.8K

$78.1 LKR 26.0K

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

$41.03 LKR 13.6K

2.90%

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 557.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 LKR 162.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,636 LKR 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 384.9K

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 Dambulla: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$275 34.2%

Dambulla

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$235 29.2%

Dambulla

$234 46.4% 0.4% $1

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.8%

Dambulla

$104 20.7% 1.2% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Dambulla

$85 16.9% 1.6% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Dambulla

$69 13.7% 0.3% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$29 3.6%

Dambulla

$9.2 * 1.8% 68.1% $20

Getting Around

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

Dambulla

$2.5 * 0.5% 71.2% $6.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Colombo vs $25 in Dambulla. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $234, with Dambulla cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Dambulla

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

68,800

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Colombo Dambulla 140 km

From you

Colombo
Dambulla

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 Dambulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dambulla wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Dambulla the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,206 in Colombo and $757 in Dambulla 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.

Childcare runs $38 in Colombo versus $37 in Dambulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $804 per month in Colombo versus $505 in Dambulla – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Dambulla 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.