Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Kolonnawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolonnawa: $488 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Kolonnawa
Learn more

Kolonnawa Living Index

Jump to prices

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Kolonnawa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Kolonnawa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Colombo versus $488 in Kolonnawa.

Colombo $804
Kolonnawa $488

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Colombo versus $794 in Kolonnawa.

Colombo $1,240
Kolonnawa $794

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,675 in Colombo versus $1,100 in Kolonnawa.

Colombo $1,675
Kolonnawa $1,100

Living in Colombo is roughly 65% more expensive than in Kolonnawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Kolonnawa 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,243

$3.87 LKR 1,285

-3.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.72 LKR 8,217

$25.33 LKR 8,422

-2.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,528

$7.38 LKR 2,453

2.98%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 814

$2.45 LKR 816

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.71 LKR 236

-4.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.25 LKR 82.6

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 739

$2.16 LKR 718

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,020

$3.06 LKR 1,018

0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.56 LKR 519

0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.53 LKR 178

1.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$0.58 LKR 192

37.93%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$1.66 LKR 551

3.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 LKR 4,626

$10.53 LKR 3,502

32.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,590

$4.63 LKR 1,539

3.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,480

$7.32 LKR 2,433

1.91%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,126

$6.75 LKR 2,243

-5.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.85 LKR 281

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

$4.43 LKR 1,472

-3.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

$1.32 LKR 439

0.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

$1.04 LKR 347

-3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.77 LKR 255

5.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.43 LKR 142

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 LKR 3,435

$10.34 LKR 3,436

-0.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,279

$10.50 LKR 3,489

22.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 642

$1.77 LKR 588

9.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 999

$2.22 LKR 738

35.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 59.3

$0.16 LKR 53.2

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.96 LKR 1,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 312

$0.93 LKR 308

1.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.33 LKR 442

-0.75%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$43.9K LKR 14.6M

-1.01%

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

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

$41.1K LKR 13.7M

-3.47%

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

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

$59.6 LKR 19.8K

-1.23%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,853

$20.66 LKR 6,870

-0.24%

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

$4.65 LKR 1,546

-4.95%

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

$37.35 LKR 12.4K

2.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

$1,188 LKR 394.9K

2.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.77 LKR 5,907

$18.07 LKR 6,007

-1.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,525

$16.73 LKR 5,562

-0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

$80.1 LKR 26.6K

-2.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

$41.69 LKR 13.9K

1.27%

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 Kolonnawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$275 34.2%

Kolonnawa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$235 29.2%

Kolonnawa

$217 44.6% 7.5% $18

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.8%

Kolonnawa

$103 21.2% 0.1% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Kolonnawa

$84 17.3% 0.9% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Kolonnawa

$70 14.5% 1.4% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$29 3.6%

Kolonnawa

$9.3 * 1.9% 67.6% $19

Getting Around

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

Kolonnawa

$2.8 * 0.6% 68.4% $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 Kolonnawa. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $217, with Kolonnawa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Kolonnawa

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

64,800

💱 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 Kolonnawa 4 km

From you

Colombo
Kolonnawa

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 Kolonnawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolonnawa wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kolonnawa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,206 in Colombo and $732 in Kolonnawa 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 $488 in Kolonnawa – Kolonnawa is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $488 in Kolonnawa versus $804 in Colombo, a $800 budget is realistic in Kolonnawa but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Kolonnawa 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.