Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Kalutara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalutara: $608 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Kalutara
Learn more

Kalutara Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Kalutara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Kalutara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Colombo versus $608 in Kalutara.

Colombo $804
Kalutara $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Colombo versus $888 in Kalutara.

Colombo $1,240
Kalutara $888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,675 in Colombo versus $1,168 in Kalutara.

Colombo $1,675
Kalutara $1,168

Living in Colombo is roughly 32% more expensive than in Kalutara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Kalutara 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,243

$3.92 LKR 1,303

-4.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.72 LKR 8,217

$24.40 LKR 8,112

1.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,528

$7.72 LKR 2,566

-1.55%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 814

$2.47 LKR 823

-0.81%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.69 LKR 228

-1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.25 LKR 82.7

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 739

$2.14 LKR 710

3.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,020

$2.99 LKR 994

2.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.56 LKR 520

0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.53 LKR 175

1.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$0.81 LKR 269

-1.23%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$1.69 LKR 561

1.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 LKR 4,626

$13.98 LKR 4,649

-0.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,590

$4.93 LKR 1,638

-3.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,480

$7.47 LKR 2,484

-0.13%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,126

$6.52 LKR 2,167

-1.84%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.87 LKR 288

-2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

$4.44 LKR 1,475

-4.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

$1.33 LKR 441

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

$1.04 LKR 346

-3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.83 LKR 277

-2.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.89 LKR 295

4.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.45 LKR 150

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 LKR 3,435

$10.13 LKR 3,368

1.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,279

$12.77 LKR 4,246

0.78%

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

$2.99 LKR 993

0.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 59.3

$0.12 LKR 41.31

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.96 LKR 1,982

$9.12 LKR 3,031

-34.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$0.38 LKR 125

5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.18 LKR 61.2

94.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 312

$0.86 LKR 285

9.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$44.1K LKR 14.7M

-1.54%

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

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

$40.0K LKR 13.3M

-0.74%

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

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

$58.3 LKR 19.4K

0.89%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

$4.20 LKR 1,396

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,853

$20.29 LKR 6,747

1.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,611

$9.14 LKR 3,040

117.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 LKR 1,469

$4.48 LKR 1,489

-1.34%

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

$37.10 LKR 12.3K

2.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

$1,220 LKR 405.6K

-0.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.77 LKR 5,907

$18.31 LKR 6,088

-2.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,525

$16.57 LKR 5,510

0.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

$77.7 LKR 25.8K

0.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

$42.30 LKR 14.1K

-0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 LKR 194.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 LKR 91.4K

$85.6 LKR 28.4K

221.46%

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 Kalutara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$275 34.2%

Kalutara

$86 14.1% 68.9% $189

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$235 29.2%

Kalutara

$237 38.9% 0.7% $1.7

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.8%

Kalutara

$105 17.2% 1.4% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Kalutara

$83 13.6% 1% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Kalutara

$70 11.5% 0.3% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$29 3.6%

Kalutara

$18 3% 37% $11

Getting Around

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

Kalutara

$11 1.8% 23.6% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Colombo vs $24 in Kalutara. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $237, with Colombo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Kalutara

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

39,600

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Colombo Kalutara 41 km

From you

Colombo
Kalutara

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 Kalutara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalutara wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kalutara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,206 in Colombo and $913 in Kalutara 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 Kalutara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kalutara – a meal for two runs $24 versus $25 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $608 in Kalutara versus $804 in Colombo, a $800 budget is realistic in Kalutara but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Kalutara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.