Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

For one person, living is cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: $707 a month against $803 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$803

/mo nomad

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $803 in Colombo versus $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Colombo $803
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $707

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,208 in Colombo versus $1,096 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Colombo $1,208
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,614 in Colombo versus $1,485 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Colombo $1,614
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,485

Living in Colombo is roughly 14% more expensive than in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 LKR 1,250

$3.84 LKR 1,271

-1.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.25 LKR 8,362

$25.15 LKR 8,331

0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 LKR 2,519

$7.65 LKR 2,533

-0.52%

Cappuccino

$2.58 LKR 856

$2.57 LKR 852

0.39%

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

$0.68 LKR 225

$0.73 LKR 241

-6.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.6

$0.25 LKR 81.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 LKR 748

$2.22 LKR 735

1.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 995

$2.98 LKR 989

0.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 541

$1.27 LKR 421

28.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 187

$0.58 LKR 191

-1.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.74 LKR 246

6.76%

Eggs

$1.70 LKR 563

$1.72 LKR 568

-1.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 LKR 4,522

$13.81 LKR 4,576

-1.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 LKR 1,604

$4.41 LKR 1,462

9.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 LKR 2,525

$5.29 LKR 1,754

44.05%

Apples (1kg)

$6.51 LKR 2,156

$6.21 LKR 2,058

4.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.84 LKR 279

1.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 LKR 1,487

$4.36 LKR 1,445

2.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 LKR 443

$1.20 LKR 397

11.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 329

$0.87 LKR 288

13.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$0.82 LKR 270

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 LKR 305

$0.88 LKR 291

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.46 LKR 151

-2.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 LKR 3,370

$9.15 LKR 3,031

11.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.69 LKR 4,204

$12.73 LKR 4,216

-0.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 LKR 621

$1.95 LKR 645

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 973

$3.02 LKR 1,001

-2.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 LKR 57.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.01 LKR 2,322

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 124

$0.31 LKR 103

22.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.38 LKR 125

-2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.88 LKR 292

5.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 LKR 454

$1.15 LKR 381

19.13%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

-0.16%

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

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

0.81%

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

$59.8 LKR 19.8K

$45.62 LKR 15.1K

31.15%

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

$4.36 LKR 1,444

$4.36 LKR 1,445

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.96 LKR 6,942

$12.16 LKR 4,028

72.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.22 LKR 4,710

$14.89 LKR 4,933

-4.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 LKR 1,870

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 LKR 1,525

$3.08 LKR 1,020

49.35%

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

$37.19 LKR 12.3K

$37.61 LKR 12.5K

-1.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,224 LKR 405.3K

$896 LKR 296.9K

36.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.18 LKR 6,020

$18.40 LKR 6,093

-1.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.85 LKR 5,580

$16.89 LKR 5,593

-0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 LKR 25.7K

$79.3 LKR 26.3K

-2.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.83 LKR 13.9K

$41.35 LKR 13.7K

1.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 LKR 187.8K

$307 LKR 101.7K

84.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 LKR 90.6K

$224 LKR 74.1K

22.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 LKR 498.9K

$445 LKR 147.4K

238.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 LKR 140.4K

$382 LKR 126.4K

11.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,742 LKR 1.2M

$692 LKR 229.3K

440.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 LKR 384.1K

$531 LKR 175.9K

118.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$253 LKR 83.9K

$298 LKR 98.8K

-15.03%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$274 34.1%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$224 31.7% 18.2% $50

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$237 29.5%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$222 31.4% 6.3% $15

Eating Out

Colombo

$105 13.1%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$105 14.9% 0.4% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$85 10.6%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$62 8.8% 27% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.7%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$70 9.9% 1% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$23 2.9%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$21 3% 10.2% $2.4

Getting Around

Colombo

$10 1.2%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$2.2 * 0.3% 77.9% $7.8

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 $567 in Colombo and $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Colombo vs $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $222, with Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

115,826 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Colombo Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 9 km

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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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. 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: $567 in Colombo versus $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $37.19 in Colombo versus $37.61 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $25.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $803 in Colombo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $707 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Colombo and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.