Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Horana and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Horana: $456 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Horana
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Horana Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index

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Horana

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$456

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $456 in Horana versus $804 in Colombo.

Horana $456
Colombo $804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Horana versus $1,240 in Colombo.

Horana $735
Colombo $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,014 in Horana versus $1,675 in Colombo.

Horana $1,014
Colombo $1,675

Living in Horana costs roughly 43% less than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Horana 67% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.84 LKR 610

$3.74 LKR 1,242

-50.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.86 LKR 8,262

$24.72 LKR 8,214

0.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 LKR 2,483

$7.60 LKR 2,527

-1.71%

Cappuccino

$2.52 LKR 838

$2.45 LKR 814

2.86%

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

$0.59 LKR 195

$0.68 LKR 226

-13.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 LKR 73.3

$0.27 LKR 89.8

-18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 747

$2.22 LKR 739

1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,021

$3.07 LKR 1,019

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 LKR 516

$1.57 LKR 520

-1.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 LKR 143

$0.54 LKR 178

-20.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.61 LKR 204

$0.80 LKR 266

-23.75%

Eggs

$1.69 LKR 562

$1.71 LKR 567

-1.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.86 LKR 4,607

$13.92 LKR 4,625

-0.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 LKR 1,327

$4.78 LKR 1,590

-16.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 LKR 2,471

$7.46 LKR 2,480

-0.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 LKR 787

$6.40 LKR 2,126

-62.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.34 LKR 114

$0.85 LKR 283

-60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$4.26 LKR 1,416

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 LKR 445

$1.33 LKR 443

0.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 LKR 216

$1.00 LKR 334

-35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 LKR 230

$0.81 LKR 270

-14.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 LKR 316

$0.93 LKR 308

2.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 153

$0.45 LKR 151

2.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.20 LKR 3,388

$10.33 LKR 3,434

-1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.91 LKR 4,291

$12.87 LKR 4,277

0.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 LKR 625

$1.93 LKR 642

-2.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 LKR 1,008

$3.00 LKR 999

1.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 59.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.96 LKR 1,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.40 LKR 134

-5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.35 LKR 116

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 313

$0.94 LKR 312

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 437

$1.32 LKR 438

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

$43.2K LKR 14.3M

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

-0.58%

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

$39.9K LKR 13.3M

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

0.49%

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

$58.2 LKR 19.4K

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

-1.05%

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

$3.02 LKR 1,004

$4.20 LKR 1,396

-28.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 LKR 6,912

$20.61 LKR 6,851

0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,609

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 LKR 1,511

$4.42 LKR 1,468

2.94%

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

$38.12 LKR 12.7K

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

-0.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,188 LKR 394.8K

$1,214 LKR 403.4K

-2.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.79 LKR 5,914

$17.77 LKR 5,905

0.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.33 LKR 5,428

$16.62 LKR 5,523

-1.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 LKR 26.5K

$77.8 LKR 25.8K

2.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.70 LKR 13.9K

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

-1.23%

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 557.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 LKR 162.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,636 LKR 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 384.9K

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 Horana: October 24, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Horana

$205 44.9%

Colombo

$235 29.2% 14.9% $31

Eating Out

Horana

$88 19.3%

Colombo

$103 12.8% 17.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Horana

$82 18%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 2% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Horana

$70 15.4%

Colombo

$69 8.6% 0.7% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Horana

$9.1 * 2%

Colombo

$29 3.6% 216% $20

Getting Around

Horana

$2.2 * 0.5%

Colombo

$8.8 1.1% 294% $6.6

Accommodation & Living

Horana

- * 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 Horana vs $25 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $235 per month, with Horana cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Horana

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

22:20 10:20 PM

Same time as Horana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000

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

Horana Colombo 34 km

From you

Horana
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

Horana vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Horana wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Horana the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $684 in Horana 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.

All in, you’ll spend $456 per month in Horana versus $804 in Colombo – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% 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 Horana 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.