Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Homagama and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Homagama: $485 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Homagama
Learn more

Homagama Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index

Jump to prices

Homagama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$485

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $485 in Homagama versus $804 in Colombo.

Homagama $485
Colombo $804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $742 in Homagama versus $1,240 in Colombo.

Homagama $742
Colombo $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $998 in Homagama versus $1,675 in Colombo.

Homagama $998
Colombo $1,675

Living in Homagama costs roughly 40% less than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Homagama 64% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 LKR 1,237

$3.74 LKR 1,243

-0.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.25 LKR 8,395

$24.72 LKR 8,217

2.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 LKR 2,542

$7.60 LKR 2,528

0.66%

Cappuccino

$2.53 LKR 841

$2.45 LKR 814

3.27%

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

$0.68 LKR 227

$0.68 LKR 226

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.3

$0.27 LKR 89.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 LKR 728

$2.22 LKR 739

-1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 LKR 1,008

$3.07 LKR 1,020

-1.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 LKR 288

$1.57 LKR 520

-45.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 179

$0.54 LKR 178

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.51 LKR 171

$0.80 LKR 266

-36.25%

Eggs

$1.70 LKR 565

$1.71 LKR 568

-0.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.01 LKR 4,656

$13.92 LKR 4,626

0.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 LKR 1,093

$4.78 LKR 1,590

-31.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.33 LKR 2,436

$7.46 LKR 2,480

-1.74%

Apples (1kg)

$6.67 LKR 2,219

$6.40 LKR 2,126

4.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$0.85 LKR 283

2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,483

$4.26 LKR 1,416

4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.33 LKR 443

-0.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 LKR 336

$1.00 LKR 334

1.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 LKR 315

$0.93 LKR 308

2.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 143

$0.45 LKR 151

-4.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 LKR 3,384

$10.33 LKR 3,435

-1.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 LKR 4,055

$12.87 LKR 4,279

-5.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 LKR 617

$1.93 LKR 642

-3.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 LKR 707

$3.00 LKR 999

-29.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 LKR 157

$0.18 LKR 59.3

161.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.96 LKR 1,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.35 LKR 115

$0.40 LKR 134

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.35 LKR 116

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 LKR 314

$0.94 LKR 312

1.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 LKR 362

$1.32 LKR 438

-17.42%

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

$13.6K LKR 4.5M

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

-68.76%

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

$21.4K LKR 7.1M

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

-46.16%

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

$21.27 LKR 7,070

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

-63.86%

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

$3.04 LKR 1,009

$4.20 LKR 1,397

-27.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.60 LKR 6,850

$20.61 LKR 6,853

-0.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.36 LKR 2,448

$19.88 LKR 6,611

-62.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 LKR 1,462

$4.42 LKR 1,469

-0.45%

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

$37.10 LKR 12.3K

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

-2.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,228 LKR 408.2K

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

1.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.30 LKR 6,083

$17.77 LKR 5,907

2.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.20 LKR 4,057

$16.62 LKR 5,525

-26.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.25 LKR 8,061

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

-68.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.07 LKR 9,000

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

-35.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 LKR 45.4K

$586 LKR 194.7K

-76.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$61.4 LKR 20.4K

$275 LKR 91.4K

-77.66%

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)

$149 LKR 49.6K

$259 LKR 86.0K

-42.37%

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 Homagama: 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

Homagama

$218 44.9%

Colombo

$235 29.2% 7.9% $17

Eating Out

Homagama

$104 21.4%

Colombo

$103 12.8% 0.7% $0.7

Accommodation & Living

Homagama

$61 12.7%

Colombo

$275 34.2% 348% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Homagama

$45 9.3%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 86.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Homagama

$37 7.6%

Colombo

$69 8.6% 88.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Homagama

$16 3.3%

Colombo

$29 3.6% 77.8% $13

Getting Around

Homagama

$4.1 * 0.8%

Colombo

$8.8 1.1% 116% $4.8

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 $136 in Homagama and $586 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Colombo pays 74% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Homagama vs $25 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $235 per month, with Homagama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Homagama

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

03:38 3:38 AM

Same time as Homagama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,000

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Homagama Colombo 20 km

From you

Homagama
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

Homagama vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Homagama wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Homagama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Homagama. 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: $136 in Homagama versus $586 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $485 per month in Homagama versus $804 in Colombo – Homagama is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Homagama gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Homagama delivers better value at $485 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Homagama hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Homagama wins on affordability, Colombo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.