Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Hatton

For one person, living is cheaper in Hatton: $506 a month against $803 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
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Colombo Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Hatton
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Hatton Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$803

/mo nomad

Hatton

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Hatton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $803 in Colombo versus $506 in Hatton.

Colombo $803
Hatton $506

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,208 in Colombo versus $821 in Hatton.

Colombo $1,208
Hatton $821

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,614 in Colombo versus $1,137 in Hatton.

Colombo $1,614
Hatton $1,137

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 LKR 1,250

$3.79 LKR 1,256

-0.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.25 LKR 8,362

$25.21 LKR 8,350

0.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 LKR 2,519

$7.42 LKR 2,457

2.56%

Cappuccino

$2.58 LKR 856

$2.55 LKR 845

1.18%

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

$0.68 LKR 225

$0.73 LKR 243

-6.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.6

$0.25 LKR 82.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 LKR 748

$2.17 LKR 718

4.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 995

$3.07 LKR 1,018

-2.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 541

$1.61 LKR 534

1.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 187

$0.57 LKR 189

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.75 LKR 249

5.33%

Eggs

$1.70 LKR 563

$1.65 LKR 548

3.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 LKR 4,522

$13.58 LKR 4,498

0.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 LKR 1,604

$4.89 LKR 1,619

-1.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 LKR 2,525

$7.56 LKR 2,503

0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$6.51 LKR 2,156

$6.68 LKR 2,213

-2.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.87 LKR 287

-2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 LKR 1,487

$4.28 LKR 1,419

4.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 LKR 443

$1.27 LKR 420

5.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 329

$1.03 LKR 342

-3.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$0.84 LKR 278

-2.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 LKR 305

$0.95 LKR 315

-3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.46 LKR 152

-2.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 LKR 3,370

$10.07 LKR 3,336

0.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.69 LKR 4,204

$12.67 LKR 4,196

0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 LKR 621

$1.87 LKR 620

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 973

$3.05 LKR 1,011

-3.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 LKR 57.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.01 LKR 2,322

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 124

$0.37 LKR 124

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.38 LKR 125

-2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.95 LKR 314

-2.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 LKR 454

$1.32 LKR 437

3.79%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$43.3K LKR 14.3M

0.22%

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

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

1.08%

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

$59.8 LKR 19.8K

$58.5 LKR 19.4K

2.29%

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

$4.36 LKR 1,444

$4.38 LKR 1,449

-0.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.96 LKR 6,942

$21.16 LKR 7,007

-0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.22 LKR 4,710

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 LKR 1,870

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 LKR 1,525

$4.61 LKR 1,527

-0.22%

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

$37.19 LKR 12.3K

$37.15 LKR 12.3K

0.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,224 LKR 405.3K

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

-0.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.18 LKR 6,020

$18.26 LKR 6,049

-0.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.85 LKR 5,580

$16.69 LKR 5,528

0.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 LKR 25.7K

$78.1 LKR 25.9K

-0.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.83 LKR 13.9K

$42.00 LKR 13.9K

-0.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 LKR 187.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 LKR 90.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 LKR 498.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 LKR 140.4K

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

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 19, 2026

Last update for Hatton: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$274 34.1%

Hatton

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$237 29.5%

Hatton

$236 46.7% 0.2% $0.4

Eating Out

Colombo

$105 13.1%

Hatton

$104 20.6% 0.9% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$85 10.6%

Hatton

$84 16.6% 1.3% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.7%

Hatton

$70 13.8% 0.5% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$23 2.9%

Hatton

$9.2 * 1.8% 60.6% $14

Getting Around

Colombo

$10 1.2%

Hatton

$2.3 * 0.5% 77.3% $7.7

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25.00 in Colombo vs $25.00 in Hatton. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $236, with Hatton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Hatton

🕒 Local time

15:46 3:46 PM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

16,200

💱 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 Hatton 82 km

From you

Colombo
Hatton

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 Hatton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hatton wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hatton the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,205 in Colombo and $759 in Hatton 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 $37.19 in Colombo versus $37.15 in Hatton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $506 in Hatton versus $803 in Colombo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hatton but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Hatton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hatton delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $506 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hatton hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Colombo and Hatton are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hatton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.