Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Piliyandala

For one person, living is cheaper in Piliyandala: $580 a month against $811 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Piliyandala
Learn more

Piliyandala Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$811

/mo nomad

Piliyandala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$580

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Piliyandala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $811 in Colombo versus $580 in Piliyandala.

Colombo $811
Piliyandala $580

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,298 in Colombo versus $917 in Piliyandala.

Colombo $1,298
Piliyandala $917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,785 in Colombo versus $1,253 in Piliyandala.

Colombo $1,785
Piliyandala $1,253

Living in Colombo is roughly 40% more expensive than in Piliyandala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 40% lower, Piliyandala 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 LKR 1,304

$3.06 LKR 1,017

28.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.58 LKR 8,177

$12.26 LKR 4,078

100.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 LKR 2,458

$7.64 LKR 2,541

-3.27%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 813

$2.57 LKR 856

-5.06%

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

$0.67 LKR 222

$0.73 LKR 243

-8.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 83.1

$0.27 LKR 90.6

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 LKR 710

$2.25 LKR 749

-4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 LKR 1,007

$3.05 LKR 1,014

-0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 525

$1.58 LKR 526

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$0.56 LKR 187

-5.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.81 LKR 268

Eggs

$1.62 LKR 539

$1.71 LKR 568

-5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 LKR 5,035

$15.09 LKR 5,019

0.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 LKR 1,701

$4.94 LKR 1,643

3.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 LKR 2,547

$7.65 LKR 2,544

0.13%

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 LKR 2,201

$6.52 LKR 2,168

1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 293

$0.82 LKR 273

7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 LKR 1,382

$4.27 LKR 1,420

-2.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 425

$1.28 LKR 424

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 347

$1.07 LKR 357

-2.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$0.83 LKR 275

-1.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LKR 404

$1.25 LKR 415

-3.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 LKR 3,338

$10.38 LKR 3,452

-3.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.69 LKR 4,555

$13.32 LKR 4,430

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$1.87 LKR 623

3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 987

$2.92 LKR 971

1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 58.8

$0.37 LKR 123

-51.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.15 LKR 2,709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.41 LKR 136

-9.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 LKR 112

$0.31 LKR 105

9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 296

$0.87 LKR 291

2.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 440

$1.34 LKR 445

-1.49%

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

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

$42.9K LKR 14.3M

1.64%

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

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

$46.2K LKR 15.4M

-2.35%

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

$57.7 LKR 19.2K

$55.9 LKR 18.6K

3.22%

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

$4.28 LKR 1,424

$4.25 LKR 1,413

0.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 LKR 6,872

$20.79 LKR 6,914

-0.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.37 LKR 6,775

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.14 LKR 2,043

Cinema Ticket

$4.63 LKR 1,541

$4.48 LKR 1,491

3.35%

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

$40.83 LKR 13.6K

$40.91 LKR 13.6K

-0.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

0.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.12 LKR 6,027

$17.85 LKR 5,937

1.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.34 LKR 5,768

$17.46 LKR 5,806

-0.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

$77.9 LKR 25.9K

-0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.29 LKR 13.7K

$41.22 LKR 13.7K

0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 LKR 187.8K

$107 LKR 35.6K

428.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 LKR 90.1K

$75.2 LKR 25.0K

260.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 LKR 562.4K

$253 LKR 84.0K

569.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 LKR 191.1K

$181 LKR 60.1K

217.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,735 LKR 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 385.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$248 LKR 82.6K

$302 LKR 100.3K

-17.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

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

Last update for Colombo: October 31, 2026

Last update for Piliyandala: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$271 33.4%

Piliyandala

$75 13% 72.3% $196

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$244 30.1%

Piliyandala

$243 41.8% 0.7% $1.6

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.7%

Piliyandala

$100 17.2% 3.5% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$83 10.2%

Piliyandala

$81 14% 2.1% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Piliyandala

$70 12% 0.1% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$30 3.7%

Piliyandala

$9 * 1.6% 69.7% $21

Getting Around

Colombo

$11 1.3%

Piliyandala

$3.5 * 0.6% 68.3% $7.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $565 in Colombo and $107 in Piliyandala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piliyandala pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25 in Colombo vs $12 in Piliyandala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $243 per month, with Piliyandala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Piliyandala

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Colombo Piliyandala 18 km

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Colombo
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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 Piliyandala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piliyandala wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Piliyandala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Colombo. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $565 in Colombo versus $107 in Piliyandala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $811 per month in Colombo versus $580 in Piliyandala – Piliyandala is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Piliyandala – a meal for two runs $12 versus $25 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Piliyandala 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.