Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gampaha and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $450 a month against $805 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Gampaha
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Gampaha Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index

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Gampaha

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$450

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$805

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gampaha 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 Gampaha and in Colombo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $450 in Gampaha versus $805 in Colombo.

Gampaha $450
Colombo $805

Estimated couple costs with rent: $765 in Gampaha versus $1,211 in Colombo.

Gampaha $765
Colombo $1,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,079 in Gampaha versus $1,617 in Colombo.

Gampaha $1,079
Colombo $1,617

Living in Gampaha costs roughly 44% less than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gampaha 67% lower, Colombo 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.81 LKR 600

$3.89 LKR 1,287

-53.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.00 LKR 5,961

$24.55 LKR 8,130

-26.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 LKR 1,723

$7.60 LKR 2,519

-31.58%

Cappuccino

$1.25 LKR 414

$2.55 LKR 845

-50.98%

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

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.68 LKR 226

-20.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.7

$0.27 LKR 89.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 LKR 705

$2.25 LKR 745

-5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 LKR 1,007

$3.08 LKR 1,019

-1.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 538

$1.63 LKR 539

-0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.58 LKR 191

-25.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 241

$0.77 LKR 255

-5.19%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 569

$1.72 LKR 571

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.52 LKR 4,480

$13.97 LKR 4,627

-3.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 LKR 1,312

$4.79 LKR 1,587

-17.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.23 LKR 2,394

$7.41 LKR 2,455

-2.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 LKR 1,961

$6.54 LKR 2,168

-9.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$0.80 LKR 267

1.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,461

$4.28 LKR 1,417

3.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 LKR 420

$1.29 LKR 427

-1.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 LKR 318

$1.00 LKR 331

-4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 257

$0.77 LKR 256

1.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 LKR 95.7

$0.89 LKR 296

-67.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 LKR 104

$0.42 LKR 140

-23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.94 LKR 3,294

$10.30 LKR 3,413

-3.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.77 LKR 4,231

$12.90 LKR 4,274

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 LKR 457

$1.91 LKR 633

-27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 LKR 784

$2.93 LKR 969

-19.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 103

$0.19 LKR 63.9

63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.27 LKR 2,407

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 LKR 95.8

$0.41 LKR 135

-29.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 LKR 120

$0.37 LKR 123

-2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 LKR 297

$0.92 LKR 305

-2.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 LKR 390

$1.34 LKR 445

-11.94%

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

$29.9K LKR 9.9M

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

-17.86%

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

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

$39.8K LKR 13.2M

1.04%

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

$27.63 LKR 9,153

$59.0 LKR 19.5K

-53.15%

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

$2.98 LKR 985

$4.37 LKR 1,446

-31.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.84 LKR 3,591

$20.37 LKR 6,748

-46.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.56 LKR 2,504

$13.72 LKR 4,545

-44.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.64 LKR 1,868

Cinema Ticket

$4.44 LKR 1,472

$4.46 LKR 1,476

-0.45%

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

$15.07 LKR 4,991

$38.30 LKR 12.7K

-60.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$122 LKR 40.4K

$1,211 LKR 401.2K

-89.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.88 LKR 5,924

$18.16 LKR 6,016

-1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.90 LKR 2,948

$16.76 LKR 5,550

-46.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 LKR 20.3K

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

-21.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.29 LKR 8,044

$42.33 LKR 14.0K

-42.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$89.4 LKR 29.6K

$578 LKR 191.3K

-84.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$55.5 LKR 18.4K

$277 LKR 91.8K

-79.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 LKR 99.8K

$1,495 LKR 495.3K

-79.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 LKR 55.4K

$433 LKR 143.4K

-61.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,668 LKR 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,167 LKR 386.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$225 LKR 74.4K

$259 LKR 85.9K

-13.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

-21.20%

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

Last update for Gampaha: October 12, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gampaha

$217 48.4%

Colombo

$236 29.3% 8.3% $18

Eating Out

Gampaha

$65 14.5%

Colombo

$106 13.1% 62.5% $41

Accommodation & Living

Gampaha

$55 12.3%

Colombo

$277 34.4% 400% $222

Clothing & Footwear

Gampaha

$51 11.3%

Colombo

$70 8.7% 38.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gampaha

$41 9.2%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 102% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Gampaha

$16 3.7%

Colombo

$23 2.8% 37.6% $6.2

Getting Around

Gampaha

$3.3 * 0.7%

Colombo

$10 1.3% 208% $7

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 $89.4 in Gampaha and $578 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Colombo pays 15% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $18.00 in Gampaha vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $236 per month, with Gampaha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Gampaha

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

Same time as Gampaha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

753,000

💱 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

On the map

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Gampaha Colombo 23 km

From you

Gampaha
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

Gampaha vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gampaha wins on cost – living expenses run 79% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gampaha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 15% 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: $89.4 in Gampaha versus $578 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $15.07 in Gampaha versus $38.30 in Colombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gampaha – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $25.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $450 in Gampaha versus $805 in Colombo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gampaha but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Gampaha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gampaha delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $450 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gampaha hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Gampaha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.