Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kataragama and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Kataragama: $508 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Kataragama
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Kataragama Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index

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Kataragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$508

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $508 in Kataragama versus $804 in Colombo.

Kataragama $508
Colombo $804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $822 in Kataragama versus $1,240 in Colombo.

Kataragama $822
Colombo $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,137 in Kataragama versus $1,675 in Colombo.

Kataragama $1,137
Colombo $1,675

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Kataragama 63% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 LKR 1,296

$3.74 LKR 1,243

4.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.62 LKR 8,184

$24.72 LKR 8,217

-0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 LKR 2,569

$7.60 LKR 2,528

1.71%

Cappuccino

$2.56 LKR 852

$2.45 LKR 814

4.49%

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

$0.67 LKR 222

$0.68 LKR 226

-1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.5

$0.27 LKR 89.8

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 LKR 721

$2.22 LKR 739

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 997

$3.07 LKR 1,020

-2.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 LKR 544

$1.57 LKR 520

4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

$0.54 LKR 178

-1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 249

$0.80 LKR 266

-6.25%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 569

$1.71 LKR 568

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.75 LKR 4,572

$13.92 LKR 4,626

-1.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 LKR 1,642

$4.78 LKR 1,590

3.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,480

Apples (1kg)

$6.67 LKR 2,218

$6.40 LKR 2,126

4.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 LKR 287

$0.85 LKR 283

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 LKR 1,419

$4.26 LKR 1,416

0.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.33 LKR 443

-0.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 332

$1.00 LKR 334

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 272

$0.81 LKR 270

1.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 314

$0.93 LKR 308

1.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 140

$0.45 LKR 151

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 LKR 3,441

$10.33 LKR 3,435

0.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.09 LKR 4,351

$12.87 LKR 4,279

1.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 LKR 658

$1.93 LKR 642

2.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 LKR 1,015

$3.00 LKR 999

1.67%

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)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.40 LKR 134

-7.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.35 LKR 116

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 296

$0.94 LKR 312

-5.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 LKR 462

$1.32 LKR 438

5.30%

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

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

2.35%

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

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

3.23%

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

$58.6 LKR 19.5K

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

-0.36%

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

$4.16 LKR 1,384

$4.20 LKR 1,397

-0.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.92 LKR 6,956

$20.61 LKR 6,853

1.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,611

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

Cinema Ticket

$4.51 LKR 1,499

$4.42 LKR 1,469

2.04%

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

$37.64 LKR 12.5K

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

-1.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,206 LKR 400.8K

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

-0.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.76 LKR 5,904

$17.77 LKR 5,907

-0.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.55 LKR 5,504

$16.62 LKR 5,525

-0.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 LKR 26.1K

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

0.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.44 LKR 13.8K

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

-1.85%

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 557.5K

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)

$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 Kataragama: 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

Kataragama

$238 46.8%

Colombo

$235 29.2% 1.1% $2.5

Eating Out

Kataragama

$106 20.8%

Colombo

$103 12.8% 2.3% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kataragama

$84 16.5%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 0.1% $0

Clothing & Footwear

Kataragama

$69 13.7%

Colombo

$69 8.6% 0.1% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Kataragama

$9 * 1.8%

Colombo

$29 3.6% 218% $20

Getting Around

Kataragama

$2.2 * 0.4%

Colombo

$8.8 1.1% 296% $6.6

Accommodation & Living

Kataragama

- * 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 Kataragama vs $25 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $235, with Colombo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kataragama

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

01:58 1:58 AM

Same time as Kataragama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

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

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Between locations

Kataragama Colombo 170 km

From you

Kataragama
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

Kataragama vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kataragama wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kataragama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $761 in Kataragama 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.

Childcare runs $38 in Kataragama versus $38 in Colombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $508 per month in Kataragama versus $804 in Colombo – Kataragama is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $508 in Kataragama versus $804 in Colombo, a $800 budget is realistic in Kataragama but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Kataragama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.