Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Moratuwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Moratuwa: $131 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Moratuwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Moratuwa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Colombo versus $131 in Moratuwa.

Colombo $804
Moratuwa $131

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Colombo versus $211 in Moratuwa.

Colombo $1,240
Moratuwa $211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,675 in Colombo versus $291 in Moratuwa.

Colombo $1,675
Moratuwa $291

Living in Colombo is roughly 513% more expensive than in Moratuwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Moratuwa 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,243

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.72 LKR 8,217

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,528

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 814

$1.84 LKR 611

33.15%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.71 LKR 234

-4.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.15 LKR 49.28

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 739

$1.85 LKR 616

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,020

$2.46 LKR 816

24.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.25 LKR 417

25.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.46 LKR 154

17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$0.82 LKR 272

-2.44%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$2.36 LKR 785

-27.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 LKR 4,626

$12.27 LKR 4,078

13.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,590

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,480

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,126

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.46 LKR 154

84.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 LKR 3,435

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,279

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 642

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 999

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 312

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

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

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

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

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

$4.44 LKR 1,475

-5.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,853

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,611

$15.01 LKR 4,989

32.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

$3.08 LKR 1,024

88.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 LKR 1,469

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.77 LKR 5,907

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,525

$6.05 LKR 2,013

174.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

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 Moratuwa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$275 34.2%

Moratuwa

–

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$235 29.2%

Moratuwa

–

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.8%

Moratuwa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Moratuwa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Moratuwa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$29 3.6%

Moratuwa

–

Getting Around

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

Moratuwa

–

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Moratuwa

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

207,000

💱 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

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Colombo Moratuwa 19 km

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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 Moratuwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moratuwa wins on cost – living expenses run 84% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Moratuwa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,206 in Colombo and $197 in Moratuwa 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 238% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $804 per month in Colombo versus $131 in Moratuwa – Moratuwa is about 84% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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