Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Hikkaduwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $509 a month against $805 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
Learn more

Hikkaduwa Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$805

/mo nomad

Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Hikkaduwa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $805 in Colombo versus $509 in Hikkaduwa.

Colombo $805
Hikkaduwa $509

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,211 in Colombo versus $826 in Hikkaduwa.

Colombo $1,211
Hikkaduwa $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,617 in Colombo versus $1,144 in Hikkaduwa.

Colombo $1,617
Hikkaduwa $1,144

Living in Colombo is roughly 58% more expensive than in Hikkaduwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 40% lower, Hikkaduwa 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 LKR 1,287

$4.45 LKR 1,475

-12.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.55 LKR 8,130

$24.59 LKR 8,146

-0.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,519

$7.57 LKR 2,508

0.40%

Cappuccino

$2.55 LKR 845

$2.50 LKR 828

2.00%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.72 LKR 238

-5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.27 LKR 90.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 745

$2.16 LKR 716

4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,019

$3.01 LKR 998

2.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 539

$1.57 LKR 520

3.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 191

$0.53 LKR 175

9.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$0.80 LKR 266

-3.75%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 571

$1.60 LKR 530

7.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 LKR 4,627

$14.00 LKR 4,637

-0.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 LKR 1,587

$4.88 LKR 1,618

-1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 LKR 2,455

$7.26 LKR 2,406

2.07%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 LKR 2,168

$6.84 LKR 2,265

-4.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 267

$0.85 LKR 281

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 LKR 1,417

$4.46 LKR 1,479

-4.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 427

$1.23 LKR 406

4.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.02 LKR 339

-1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 256

$0.82 LKR 270

-6.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LKR 296

$0.92 LKR 306

-3.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 140

$0.44 LKR 145

-4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.30 LKR 3,413

$10.32 LKR 3,419

-0.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 LKR 4,274

$13.70 LKR 4,537

-5.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 633

$1.89 LKR 625

1.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 969

$3.01 LKR 998

-2.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 LKR 63.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.27 LKR 2,407

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 135

$0.38 LKR 126

7.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 LKR 305

$0.88 LKR 293

4.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 445

$1.33 LKR 441

0.75%

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

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

-3.65%

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

$39.8K LKR 13.2M

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-2.76%

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

$59.0 LKR 19.5K

$54.8 LKR 18.2K

7.57%

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

$4.37 LKR 1,446

$4.14 LKR 1,371

5.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.37 LKR 6,748

$21.01 LKR 6,960

-3.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.72 LKR 4,545

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.64 LKR 1,868

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 LKR 1,476

$4.45 LKR 1,475

0.22%

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

$38.30 LKR 12.7K

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

1.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,211 LKR 401.2K

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

-1.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.16 LKR 6,016

$18.35 LKR 6,078

-1.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.76 LKR 5,550

$16.80 LKR 5,565

-0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

1.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.33 LKR 14.0K

$42.92 LKR 14.2K

-1.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 LKR 191.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 LKR 91.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 LKR 495.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 LKR 143.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,668 LKR 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,167 LKR 386.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$259 LKR 85.9K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Hikkaduwa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$277 34.4%

Hikkaduwa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$236 29.3%

Hikkaduwa

$239 46.9% 1.3% $3

Eating Out

Colombo

$106 13.1%

Hikkaduwa

$109 21.4% 3.2% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Hikkaduwa

$80 15.7% 4.5% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$70 8.7%

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$23 2.8%

Hikkaduwa

$8.9 * 1.8% 60.7% $14

Getting Around

Colombo

$10 1.3%

Hikkaduwa

$2.2 * 0.4% 78.3% $8.1

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 Hikkaduwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $239 per month, with Colombo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

101,342

💱 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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Colombo Hikkaduwa 93 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 Hikkaduwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hikkaduwa wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hikkaduwa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,208 in Colombo and $763 in Hikkaduwa 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 $38.30 in Colombo versus $37.63 in Hikkaduwa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hikkaduwa – 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 $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $805 in Colombo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hikkaduwa but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Hikkaduwa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hikkaduwa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $509 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hikkaduwa hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Hikkaduwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.