Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Nuwara Eliya Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Nuwara Eliya

😐 Solo nomad: Colombo is 10.8% more expensive than Nuwara Eliya without rent, and 35.5% more expensive with rent.

🙂 Family of 3: Colombo is 9.1% cheaper than Nuwara Eliya without rent, and 34.7% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 LKR 1,236

$3.97 LKR 1,234

0.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.32 LKR 7,868

$24.90 LKR 7,738

1.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 LKR 2,635

$8.58 LKR 2,667

-1.17%

Cappuccino

$2.73 LKR 847

$2.65 LKR 822

3.02%

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

$0.74 LKR 229

$0.69 LKR 214

7.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 LKR 115

$0.38 LKR 117

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 LKR 748

$2.36 LKR 734

2.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 LKR 1,029

$3.28 LKR 1,019

0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 LKR 528

$1.77 LKR 549

-3.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 175

$0.51 LKR 160

9.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 257

$0.82 LKR 255

1.22%

Eggs

$2.20 LKR 683

$2.15 LKR 668

2.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.25 LKR 4,428

$14.01 LKR 4,354

1.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.70 LKR 1,462

$4.65 LKR 1,446

1.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 LKR 2,444

$8.18 LKR 2,541

-3.79%

Apples (1kg)

$7.49 LKR 2,328

$7.53 LKR 2,339

-0.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 LKR 346

$1.10 LKR 343

0.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.85 LKR 1,819

$5.95 LKR 1,849

-1.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 LKR 378

$1.25 LKR 388

-2.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 LKR 341

$1.10 LKR 343

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 LKR 445

$1.41 LKR 438

1.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 LKR 356

$1.16 LKR 360

-1.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 LKR 188

$0.59 LKR 184

1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.23 LKR 3,178

$9.97 LKR 3,097

2.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 LKR 3,937

$12.94 LKR 4,021

-2.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 649

$2.02 LKR 628

3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 914

$2.93 LKR 911

0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 LKR 59.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.94 LKR 1,534

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 128

$0.38 LKR 119

7.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 110

$0.35 LKR 109

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 LKR 177

$0.61 LKR 191

-6.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 LKR 388

$1.20 LKR 373

4.17%

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

$26.6K LKR 8.3M

$26.7K LKR 8.3M

-0.32%

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

$35.4K LKR 11.0M

$34.8K LKR 10.8M

1.87%

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

$59.5 LKR 18.5K

$61.1 LKR 19.0K

-2.65%

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

$4.46 LKR 1,386

$4.26 LKR 1,324

4.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.16 LKR 4,711

$15.06 LKR 4,681

0.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.28 LKR 4,436

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.05 LKR 2,191

Cinema Ticket

$3.38 LKR 1,050

$3.42 LKR 1,063

-1.17%

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

$36.49 LKR 11.3K

$36.70 LKR 11.4K

-0.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$444 LKR 138.1K

$439 LKR 136.3K

1.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.90 LKR 8,670

$28.04 LKR 8,714

-0.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.17 LKR 5,958

$19.30 LKR 5,997

-0.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 LKR 21.4K

$70.8 LKR 22.0K

-2.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.47 LKR 12.0K

$38.07 LKR 11.8K

1.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 LKR 115.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 LKR 54.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$969 LKR 301.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 LKR 111.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,705 LKR 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,248 LKR 387.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$241 LKR 74.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Colombo: March 2, 2026

Last update for Nuwara Eliya: March 1, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Similar cities

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

Tunis

🇹🇳 Tunisia

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

Odesa

🇺🇦 Ukraine

Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

Accra

🇬🇭 Ghana

Sousse

🇹🇳 Tunisia