Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Gampaha

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $453 a month against $803 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Gampaha
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Gampaha Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$803

/mo nomad

Gampaha

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Gampaha

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $803 in Colombo versus $453 in Gampaha.

Colombo $803
Gampaha $453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,208 in Colombo versus $768 in Gampaha.

Colombo $1,208
Gampaha $768

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,614 in Colombo versus $1,083 in Gampaha.

Colombo $1,614
Gampaha $1,083

Living in Colombo is roughly 77% more expensive than in Gampaha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Gampaha 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 LKR 1,250

$1.84 LKR 609

104.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.25 LKR 8,362

$18.22 LKR 6,034

38.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 LKR 2,519

$5.20 LKR 1,721

46.35%

Cappuccino

$2.58 LKR 856

$1.24 LKR 410

108.06%

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

$0.68 LKR 225

$0.53 LKR 176

28.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.6

$0.25 LKR 82.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 LKR 748

$2.12 LKR 701

6.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 995

$3.05 LKR 1,010

-1.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 541

$1.63 LKR 539

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 187

$0.41 LKR 135

39.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.73 LKR 241

8.22%

Eggs

$1.70 LKR 563

$1.65 LKR 548

3.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 LKR 4,522

$13.91 LKR 4,607

-1.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 LKR 1,604

$4.03 LKR 1,334

20.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 LKR 2,525

$7.43 LKR 2,460

2.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.51 LKR 2,156

$5.95 LKR 1,972

9.41%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.82 LKR 270

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 LKR 1,487

$4.51 LKR 1,493

-0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 LKR 443

$1.32 LKR 436

1.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 329

$0.95 LKR 314

4.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$0.84 LKR 277

-2.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 LKR 305

$0.29 LKR 94.8

217.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.34 LKR 114

32.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 LKR 3,370

$9.88 LKR 3,273

2.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.69 LKR 4,204

$13.04 LKR 4,319

-2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 LKR 621

$1.35 LKR 447

38.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 973

$2.44 LKR 808

20.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 LKR 57.9

$0.29 LKR 95.2

-41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.01 LKR 2,322

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 124

$0.29 LKR 95.0

31.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.36 LKR 120

2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.89 LKR 295

4.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 LKR 454

$1.17 LKR 388

17.09%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$30.6K LKR 10.1M

42.11%

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

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

$39.9K LKR 13.2M

3.53%

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

$59.8 LKR 19.8K

$27.15 LKR 8,994

120.37%

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

$4.36 LKR 1,444

$2.99 LKR 991

45.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.96 LKR 6,942

$10.85 LKR 3,592

93.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.22 LKR 4,710

$7.73 LKR 2,561

83.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 LKR 1,870

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 LKR 1,525

$4.55 LKR 1,508

1.10%

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

$37.19 LKR 12.3K

$14.93 LKR 4,944

149.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,224 LKR 405.3K

$121 LKR 40.1K

911.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.18 LKR 6,020

$18.28 LKR 6,054

-0.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.85 LKR 5,580

$9.02 LKR 2,987

86.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 LKR 25.7K

$59.9 LKR 19.8K

29.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.83 LKR 13.9K

$23.95 LKR 7,933

74.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 LKR 187.8K

$90.2 LKR 29.9K

528.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 LKR 90.6K

$56.4 LKR 18.7K

384.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 LKR 498.9K

$302 LKR 100.2K

398.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 LKR 140.4K

$163 LKR 54.0K

159.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,742 LKR 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 LKR 384.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$253 LKR 83.9K

$231 LKR 76.4K

9.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

26.90%

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

Last update for Colombo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Gampaha: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$274 34.1%

Gampaha

$56 12.5% 79.4% $217

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$237 29.5%

Gampaha

$221 48.7% 6.7% $16

Eating Out

Colombo

$105 13.1%

Gampaha

$65 14.3% 38.2% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$85 10.6%

Gampaha

$41 9% 51.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.7%

Gampaha

$50 11% 28% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$23 2.9%

Gampaha

$17 3.7% 28.1% $6.6

Getting Around

Colombo

$10 1.2%

Gampaha

$3.2 * 0.7% 67.5% $6.7

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 $567 in Colombo and $90.2 in Gampaha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Colombo pays 10% 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: $25.00 in Colombo vs $18.00 in Gampaha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $221 per month, with Gampaha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Gampaha

🕒 Local time

18:00 6:00 PM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

20,000

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Colombo Gampaha 23 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 Gampaha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gampaha wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gampaha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $567 in Colombo versus $90.2 in Gampaha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $37.19 in Colombo versus $14.93 in Gampaha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gampaha – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $25.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $453 in Gampaha versus $803 in Colombo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gampaha but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Gampaha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gampaha delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $453 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gampaha hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Gampaha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.