Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalutara and Matale

For one person, living is cheaper in Matale: $226 a month against $608 in Kalutara, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Kalutara
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Kalutara Living Index

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Kalutara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$608

/mo nomad

Matale

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$226

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kalutara and in Matale

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Kalutara versus $226 in Matale.

Kalutara $608
Matale $226

Estimated couple costs with rent: $888 in Kalutara versus $369 in Matale.

Kalutara $888
Matale $369

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,168 in Kalutara versus $512 in Matale.

Kalutara $1,168
Matale $512

Living in Kalutara is roughly 170% more expensive than in Matale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kalutara 55% lower, Matale 83% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 LKR 1,303

$1.83 LKR 608

114.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.40 LKR 8,112

$8.76 LKR 2,914

178.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 LKR 2,566

$4.39 LKR 1,458

75.85%

Cappuccino

$2.47 LKR 823

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

$0.69 LKR 228

$0.45 LKR 151

53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.7

$0.24 LKR 80.3

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 LKR 710

$2.45 LKR 814

-12.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 LKR 994

$1.77 LKR 590

68.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 520

$1.46 LKR 484

6.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

$0.42 LKR 141

26.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$0.68 LKR 226

19.12%

Eggs

$1.69 LKR 561

$1.66 LKR 551

1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 LKR 4,649

$9.81 LKR 3,262

42.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 LKR 1,638

$3.56 LKR 1,182

38.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 LKR 2,484

$7.23 LKR 2,405

3.32%

Apples (1kg)

$6.52 LKR 2,167

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$0.52 LKR 173

67.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 LKR 1,475

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 441

$0.94 LKR 311

41.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 346

$0.57 LKR 188

82.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 277

$0.55 LKR 185

50.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LKR 295

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 LKR 3,368

Wine (Bottle)

$12.77 LKR 4,246

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 627

$1.64 LKR 545

15.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 LKR 993

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.12 LKR 41.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.12 LKR 3,031

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.18 LKR 61.2

$0.23 LKR 75.8

-21.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 LKR 285

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.15 LKR 383

14.78%

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

$44.1K LKR 14.7M

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

$40.0K LKR 13.3M

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

$58.3 LKR 19.4K

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

$4.20 LKR 1,396

$3.67 LKR 1,220

14.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.29 LKR 6,747

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.14 LKR 3,040

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 LKR 1,489

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

$37.10 LKR 12.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,220 LKR 405.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.31 LKR 6,088

$23.96 LKR 7,965

-23.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.57 LKR 5,510

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 LKR 25.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.30 LKR 14.1K

$10.52 LKR 3,496

302.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.6 LKR 28.4K

$42.99 LKR 14.3K

99.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$61.1 LKR 20.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 LKR 54.1K

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 Kalutara: October 25, 2026

Last update for Matale: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kalutara

$237 38.9%

Matale

–

Eating Out

Kalutara

$105 17.2%

Matale

–

Accommodation & Living

Kalutara

$86 14.1%

Matale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kalutara

$83 13.6%

Matale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kalutara

$70 11.5%

Matale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kalutara

$18 3%

Matale

–

Getting Around

Kalutara

$11 1.8%

Matale

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24 in Kalutara vs $9 in Matale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $116 per month, with Matale cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kalutara

🇱🇰 Matale

🕒 Local time

01:58 1:58 AM

Same time as Kalutara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,600

40,800

💱 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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Kalutara Matale 120 km

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Kalutara
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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

Kalutara vs Matale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matale wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Kalutara. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Matale the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $913 in Kalutara and $338 in Matale 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 $608 per month in Kalutara versus $226 in Matale – Matale is about 63% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Kalutara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Matale 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.

Safety-wise, Kalutara and Matale are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.