Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Polonnaruwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Polonnaruwa: $510 a month against $811 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Polonnaruwa
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Polonnaruwa Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$811

/mo nomad

Polonnaruwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Polonnaruwa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $811 in Colombo versus $510 in Polonnaruwa.

Colombo $811
Polonnaruwa $510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,298 in Colombo versus $829 in Polonnaruwa.

Colombo $1,298
Polonnaruwa $829

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,785 in Colombo versus $1,148 in Polonnaruwa.

Colombo $1,785
Polonnaruwa $1,148

Living in Colombo is roughly 59% more expensive than in Polonnaruwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 40% lower, Polonnaruwa 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 LKR 1,304

$3.89 LKR 1,294

0.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.58 LKR 8,177

$25.28 LKR 8,410

-2.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 LKR 2,458

$7.32 LKR 2,435

0.96%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 813

$2.56 LKR 850

-4.69%

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

$0.67 LKR 222

$0.69 LKR 228

-2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 83.1

$0.27 LKR 89.8

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 LKR 710

$2.17 LKR 721

-1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 LKR 1,007

$2.98 LKR 990

1.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 525

$1.58 LKR 526

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$0.54 LKR 178

-1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.81 LKR 269

Eggs

$1.62 LKR 539

$1.70 LKR 567

-4.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 LKR 5,035

$15.24 LKR 5,069

-0.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 LKR 1,701

$4.93 LKR 1,639

3.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 LKR 2,547

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 LKR 2,201

$6.48 LKR 2,156

2.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 293

$0.81 LKR 269

8.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 LKR 1,382

$4.25 LKR 1,414

-2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 425

$1.27 LKR 423

0.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 347

$1.04 LKR 345

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$0.77 LKR 255

6.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LKR 404

$1.26 LKR 419

-3.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.42 LKR 139

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 LKR 3,338

$10.10 LKR 3,358

-0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.69 LKR 4,555

$13.57 LKR 4,513

0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$1.87 LKR 622

3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 987

$2.98 LKR 990

-0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 58.8

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.15 LKR 2,709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.37 LKR 124

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 LKR 112

$0.31 LKR 102

9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 296

$0.86 LKR 285

3.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 440

$1.32 LKR 439

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

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

-1.97%

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

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

$45.5K LKR 15.1M

-0.97%

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

$57.7 LKR 19.2K

$58.0 LKR 19.3K

-0.52%

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

$4.28 LKR 1,424

$4.27 LKR 1,419

0.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 LKR 6,872

$20.36 LKR 6,772

1.47%

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

$4.60 LKR 1,532

0.65%

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

$40.83 LKR 13.6K

$40.23 LKR 13.4K

1.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

$17.1K LKR 5.7M

0.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.12 LKR 6,027

$18.01 LKR 5,989

0.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.34 LKR 5,768

$17.32 LKR 5,761

0.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

$78.8 LKR 26.2K

-1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.29 LKR 13.7K

$41.05 LKR 13.7K

0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 LKR 187.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 LKR 90.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 LKR 562.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 LKR 191.1K

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

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 Polonnaruwa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$271 33.4%

Polonnaruwa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$244 30.1%

Polonnaruwa

$242 47.5% 0.7% $1.8

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.7%

Polonnaruwa

$104 20.5% 1.1% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$83 10.2%

Polonnaruwa

$83 16.2% 0% $0

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Polonnaruwa

$70 13.7% 0.5% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$30 3.7%

Polonnaruwa

$9.2 * 1.8% 68.9% $20

Getting Around

Colombo

$11 1.3%

Polonnaruwa

$1.9 * 0.4% 82.6% $9

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 Polonnaruwa. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $242, with Polonnaruwa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Polonnaruwa

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

15,000

💱 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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Between locations

Colombo Polonnaruwa 170 km

From you

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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 Polonnaruwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Polonnaruwa wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Polonnaruwa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,217 in Colombo and $765 in Polonnaruwa 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 $41 in Colombo versus $40 in Polonnaruwa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $811 per month in Colombo versus $510 in Polonnaruwa – Polonnaruwa is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $510 in Polonnaruwa versus $811 in Colombo, a $800 budget is realistic in Polonnaruwa but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Polonnaruwa 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.