Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hikkaduwa and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $509 a month against $805 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
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Hikkaduwa Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index

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Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$805

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $805 in Colombo.

Hikkaduwa $509
Colombo $805

Estimated couple costs with rent: $826 in Hikkaduwa versus $1,211 in Colombo.

Hikkaduwa $826
Colombo $1,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,144 in Hikkaduwa versus $1,617 in Colombo.

Hikkaduwa $1,144
Colombo $1,617

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 LKR 1,475

$3.89 LKR 1,287

14.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.59 LKR 8,146

$24.55 LKR 8,130

0.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 LKR 2,508

$7.60 LKR 2,519

-0.39%

Cappuccino

$2.50 LKR 828

$2.55 LKR 845

-1.96%

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

$0.72 LKR 238

$0.68 LKR 226

5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.1

$0.27 LKR 89.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 LKR 716

$2.25 LKR 745

-4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 998

$3.08 LKR 1,019

-2.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.63 LKR 539

-3.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

$0.58 LKR 191

-8.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$0.77 LKR 255

3.90%

Eggs

$1.60 LKR 530

$1.72 LKR 571

-6.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 LKR 4,637

$13.97 LKR 4,627

0.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 LKR 1,618

$4.79 LKR 1,587

1.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 LKR 2,406

$7.41 LKR 2,455

-2.02%

Apples (1kg)

$6.84 LKR 2,265

$6.54 LKR 2,168

4.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 281

$0.80 LKR 267

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,479

$4.28 LKR 1,417

4.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 LKR 406

$1.29 LKR 427

-4.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 339

$1.00 LKR 331

2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$0.77 LKR 256

6.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 LKR 306

$0.89 LKR 296

3.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 145

$0.42 LKR 140

4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 LKR 3,419

$10.30 LKR 3,413

0.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 LKR 4,537

$12.90 LKR 4,274

6.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 625

$1.91 LKR 633

-1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 998

$2.93 LKR 969

2.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 LKR 63.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.27 LKR 2,407

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$0.41 LKR 135

-7.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 293

$0.92 LKR 305

-4.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 LKR 441

$1.34 LKR 445

-0.75%

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

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

3.78%

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

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

$39.8K LKR 13.2M

2.84%

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

$54.8 LKR 18.2K

$59.0 LKR 19.5K

-7.04%

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

$4.14 LKR 1,371

$4.37 LKR 1,446

-5.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.01 LKR 6,960

$20.37 LKR 6,748

3.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.72 LKR 4,545

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.64 LKR 1,868

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 LKR 1,475

$4.46 LKR 1,476

-0.22%

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

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

$38.30 LKR 12.7K

-1.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

$1,211 LKR 401.2K

1.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.35 LKR 6,078

$18.16 LKR 6,016

1.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.80 LKR 5,565

$16.76 LKR 5,550

0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

-1.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.92 LKR 14.2K

$42.33 LKR 14.0K

1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 LKR 191.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 LKR 91.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 LKR 495.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 LKR 143.4K

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)

$259 LKR 85.9K

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 Hikkaduwa: 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

Hikkaduwa

$239 46.9%

Colombo

$236 29.3% 1.2% $3

Eating Out

Hikkaduwa

$109 21.4%

Colombo

$106 13.1% 3.1% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hikkaduwa

$80 15.7%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 4.7% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8%

Colombo

$70 8.7% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Hikkaduwa

$8.9 * 1.8%

Colombo

$23 2.8% 154% $14

Getting Around

Hikkaduwa

$2.2 * 0.4%

Colombo

$10 1.3% 360% $8.1

Accommodation & Living

Hikkaduwa

- * 0%

Colombo

$277 34.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25.00 in Hikkaduwa vs $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $239 vs $236, with Colombo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

Same time as Hikkaduwa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,342

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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Between locations

Hikkaduwa Colombo 93 km

From you

Hikkaduwa
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

Hikkaduwa vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hikkaduwa wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hikkaduwa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $763 in Hikkaduwa and $1,208 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 $37.63 in Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa – 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 $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $805 in Colombo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hikkaduwa but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Hikkaduwa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hikkaduwa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $509 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hikkaduwa hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Hikkaduwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.