Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Ragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Ragama: $502 a month against $804 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 Ragama
Learn more

Ragama Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Ragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Ragama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Colombo versus $502 in Ragama.

Colombo $804
Ragama $502

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Colombo versus $816 in Ragama.

Colombo $1,240
Ragama $816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,675 in Colombo versus $1,129 in Ragama.

Colombo $1,675
Ragama $1,129

Living in Colombo is roughly 60% more expensive than in Ragama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Ragama 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,243

$3.89 LKR 1,294

-3.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.72 LKR 8,217

$25.24 LKR 8,390

-2.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,528

$7.42 LKR 2,467

2.43%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 814

$2.45 LKR 815

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.73 LKR 243

-6.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.27 LKR 90.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 739

$2.26 LKR 750

-1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,020

$3.01 LKR 1,000

1.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.43 LKR 474

9.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.50 LKR 165

8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$0.68 LKR 227

17.65%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$1.66 LKR 551

3.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 LKR 4,626

$14.02 LKR 4,660

-0.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,590

$4.82 LKR 1,603

-0.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,480

$7.40 LKR 2,460

0.81%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,126

$6.56 LKR 2,180

-2.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.81 LKR 270

4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

$4.32 LKR 1,435

-1.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

$1.32 LKR 437

0.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

$1.04 LKR 345

-3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.77 LKR 255

5.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.92 LKR 306

1.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.45 LKR 150

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 LKR 3,435

$10.17 LKR 3,380

1.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,279

$12.95 LKR 4,304

-0.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 642

$1.91 LKR 636

1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 999

$3.00 LKR 997

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

$0.38 LKR 126

5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.35 LKR 115

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 312

$0.87 LKR 288

8.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.34 LKR 444

-1.49%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

-1.43%

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

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

$39.9K LKR 13.3M

-0.64%

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

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

$58.0 LKR 19.3K

1.45%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

$4.24 LKR 1,409

-0.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,853

$20.84 LKR 6,927

-1.10%

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

$4.42 LKR 1,471

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

$37.33 LKR 12.4K

2.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

$1,217 LKR 404.6K

-0.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.77 LKR 5,907

$18.43 LKR 6,126

-3.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,525

$16.62 LKR 5,526

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

$79.4 LKR 26.4K

-2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

$42.13 LKR 14.0K

0.21%

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 Ragama: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$275 34.2%

Ragama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$235 29.2%

Ragama

$234 46.5% 0.6% $1.5

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.8%

Ragama

$104 20.7% 1% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Ragama

$83 16.5% 0.7% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Ragama

$70 14% 1.4% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$29 3.6%

Ragama

$8.9 * 1.8% 69.2% $20

Getting Around

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

Ragama

$2.1 * 0.4% 76.1% $6.7

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 Ragama. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $234, with Ragama cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Ragama

🕒 Local time

01:56 1:56 AM

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 = 2.7 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Colombo Ragama 12 km

From you

Colombo
Ragama

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 Ragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ragama wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ragama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,206 in Colombo and $753 in Ragama 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 $38 in Colombo versus $37 in Ragama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $804 per month in Colombo versus $502 in Ragama – Ragama is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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