Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Horana

For one person, living is cheaper in Horana: $456 a month against $804 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 Horana
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Horana Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Horana

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Horana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Colombo versus $456 in Horana.

Colombo $804
Horana $456

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Colombo versus $735 in Horana.

Colombo $1,240
Horana $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,675 in Colombo versus $1,014 in Horana.

Colombo $1,675
Horana $1,014

Living in Colombo is roughly 76% more expensive than in Horana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,243

$1.84 LKR 611

103.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.72 LKR 8,217

$24.86 LKR 8,265

-0.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,528

$7.47 LKR 2,484

1.74%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 814

$2.52 LKR 838

-2.78%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.59 LKR 195

15.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.22 LKR 73.3

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 739

$2.25 LKR 747

-1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,020

$3.07 LKR 1,021

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.55 LKR 516

1.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.43 LKR 143

25.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$0.61 LKR 204

31.15%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$1.69 LKR 562

1.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 LKR 4,626

$13.86 LKR 4,608

0.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,590

$3.99 LKR 1,327

19.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,480

$7.44 LKR 2,472

0.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,126

$2.37 LKR 787

170.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.34 LKR 115

150.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

$4.26 LKR 1,418

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

$1.34 LKR 445

-0.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

$0.65 LKR 216

53.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.69 LKR 230

17.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.95 LKR 316

-2.11%

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

$10.20 LKR 3,389

1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,279

$12.91 LKR 4,292

-0.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 642

$1.88 LKR 625

2.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 999

$3.03 LKR 1,008

-0.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 59.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.96 LKR 1,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$0.38 LKR 125

5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.37 LKR 124

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 312

$0.94 LKR 313

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.32 LKR 437

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$43.2K LKR 14.3M

0.58%

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

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

$39.9K LKR 13.3M

-0.49%

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

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

$58.2 LKR 19.4K

1.06%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

$3.02 LKR 1,004

39.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,853

$20.80 LKR 6,914

-0.91%

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

$4.55 LKR 1,511

-2.86%

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

$38.12 LKR 12.7K

0.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

$1,188 LKR 395.0K

2.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.77 LKR 5,907

$17.79 LKR 5,915

-0.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,525

$16.33 LKR 5,430

1.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

$79.7 LKR 26.5K

-2.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

$41.70 LKR 13.9K

1.25%

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 557.5K

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 Horana: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$275 34.2%

Horana

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$235 29.2%

Horana

$205 44.9% 13% $31

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.8%

Horana

$88 19.3% 14.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Horana

$82 18% 1.9% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Horana

$70 15.4% 0.7% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$29 3.6%

Horana

$9.1 * 2% 68.3% $20

Getting Around

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

Horana

$2.2 * 0.5% 74.6% $6.6

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 Horana. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $205, with Horana cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Horana

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

15,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Colombo Horana 34 km

From you

Colombo
Horana

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 Horana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Horana wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Horana the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,206 in Colombo and $684 in Horana 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.

All in, you’ll spend $804 per month in Colombo versus $456 in Horana – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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