Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dambulla and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Dambulla: $505 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.

24

Cost of Living Index in Dambulla
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Dambulla Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index

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Dambulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$505

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dambulla and in Colombo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dambulla and in Colombo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $505 in Dambulla versus $804 in Colombo.

Dambulla $505
Colombo $804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $818 in Dambulla versus $1,240 in Colombo.

Dambulla $818
Colombo $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,131 in Dambulla versus $1,675 in Colombo.

Dambulla $1,131
Colombo $1,675

Living in Dambulla costs roughly 37% less than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 LKR 1,281

$3.74 LKR 1,243

2.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.00 LKR 8,311

$24.72 LKR 8,217

1.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 LKR 2,546

$7.60 LKR 2,528

0.79%

Cappuccino

$2.47 LKR 821

$2.45 LKR 814

0.82%

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

$0.67 LKR 224

$0.68 LKR 226

-1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$0.27 LKR 89.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 LKR 753

$2.22 LKR 739

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 975

$3.07 LKR 1,020

-4.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 543

$1.57 LKR 520

3.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 188

$0.54 LKR 178

3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 254

$0.80 LKR 266

-3.75%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 542

$1.71 LKR 568

-4.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 LKR 4,504

$13.92 LKR 4,626

-2.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 LKR 1,635

$4.78 LKR 1,590

2.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 LKR 2,428

$7.46 LKR 2,480

-2.14%

Apples (1kg)

$6.47 LKR 2,152

$6.40 LKR 2,126

1.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 289

$0.85 LKR 283

2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 LKR 1,441

$4.26 LKR 1,416

1.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 440

$1.33 LKR 443

-0.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 LKR 336

$1.00 LKR 334

1.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 262

$0.81 LKR 270

-2.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 LKR 289

$0.93 LKR 308

-6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

$0.45 LKR 151

-4.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 LKR 3,440

$10.33 LKR 3,435

0.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 LKR 4,214

$12.87 LKR 4,279

-1.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 627

$1.93 LKR 642

-2.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 974

$3.00 LKR 999

-2.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.07 LKR 23.76

$0.18 LKR 59.3

-61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.96 LKR 1,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$0.40 LKR 134

-5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.35 LKR 116

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 289

$0.94 LKR 312

-7.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 LKR 456

$1.32 LKR 438

3.79%

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

$43.7K LKR 14.5M

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

0.76%

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

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

3.23%

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

$59.8 LKR 19.9K

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

1.55%

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

$4.30 LKR 1,431

$4.20 LKR 1,397

2.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.98 LKR 6,976

$20.61 LKR 6,853

1.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,611

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 LKR 1,520

$4.42 LKR 1,469

3.39%

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

$37.27 LKR 12.4K

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

-2.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,199 LKR 398.5K

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

-1.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.35 LKR 6,102

$17.77 LKR 5,907

3.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.43 LKR 5,462

$16.62 LKR 5,525

-1.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 LKR 26.0K

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.03 LKR 13.6K

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

-2.82%

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 Dambulla: October 26, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dambulla

$234 46.4%

Colombo

$235 29.2% 0.4% $1

Eating Out

Dambulla

$104 20.7%

Colombo

$103 12.8% 1.2% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dambulla

$85 16.9%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 1.6% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Dambulla

$69 13.7%

Colombo

$69 8.6% 0.3% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Dambulla

$9.2 * 1.8%

Colombo

$29 3.6% 214% $20

Getting Around

Dambulla

$2.5 * 0.5%

Colombo

$8.8 1.1% 248% $6.3

Accommodation & Living

Dambulla

- * 0%

Colombo

$275 34.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Dambulla vs $25 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $235 per month, with Dambulla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Dambulla

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

Same time as Dambulla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,800

753,000

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Dambulla Colombo 140 km

From you

Dambulla
Colombo

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

Dambulla vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You’d need roughly $757 in Dambulla and $1,206 in Colombo 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 $37 in Dambulla versus $38 in Colombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $505 per month in Dambulla versus $804 in Colombo – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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