Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kataragama and Matale

For one person, living is cheaper in Matale: $119 a month against $508 in Kataragama, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Kataragama
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Kataragama Living Index

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Kataragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$508

/mo nomad

Matale

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$119

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $508 per month in Kataragama vs $119 in Matale, rent included.

Kataragama $508
Matale $119

A couple spends around $824 per month in Kataragama vs $199 in Matale, rent included.

Kataragama $824
Matale $199

A family of three spends $1,140 per month in Kataragama vs $278 in Matale, rent included.

Kataragama $1,140
Matale $278

Kataragama costs about 325% more than Matale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kataragama and Matale are more affordable than the global median – Kataragama 62% lower, Matale 91% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 LKR 1,286

$1.86 LKR 618

108.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.70 LKR 8,214

$9.21 LKR 3,063

168.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 LKR 2,440

$4.62 LKR 1,537

58.87%

Cappuccino

$2.43 LKR 807

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

$0.67 LKR 224

$0.47 LKR 157

42.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.8

$0.27 LKR 89.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 LKR 742

$2.42 LKR 805

-7.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,025

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 522

$1.70 LKR 565

-7.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 187

$0.37 LKR 123

51.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 253

$0.68 LKR 227

11.76%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 544

$1.11 LKR 368

46.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 LKR 5,015

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 LKR 1,627

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 LKR 2,547

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 LKR 2,174

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 276

$0.58 LKR 192

43.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 LKR 1,358

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 LKR 437

$0.86 LKR 286

52.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 LKR 360

$0.55 LKR 183

96.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 276

$0.52 LKR 172

59.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 LKR 414

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.29 LKR 3,422

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 LKR 4,527

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 LKR 652

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 978

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 103

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 LKR 285

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 445

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

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

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

$45.6K LKR 15.2M

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

$56.8 LKR 18.9K

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

$4.15 LKR 1,380

$3.74 LKR 1,242

10.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,857

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 LKR 1,495

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

$39.71 LKR 13.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K LKR 5.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.27 LKR 6,076

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.51 LKR 5,825

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.79 LKR 13.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$33.57 LKR 11.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$48.65 LKR 16.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 LKR 61.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kataragama: November 1, 2026

Last update for Matale: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kataragama

$242 47.7%

Matale

–

Eating Out

Kataragama

$103 20.3%

Matale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kataragama

$82 16.1%

Matale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kataragama

$70 13.8%

Matale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kataragama

$9 * 1.8%

Matale

–

Getting Around

Kataragama

$2 * 0.4%

Matale

–

Accommodation & Living

Kataragama

- * 0%

Matale

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Kataragama versus $9 in Matale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $38 – making Matale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kataragama

🇱🇰 Matale

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

Same time as Kataragama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

40,800

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Kataragama Matale 140 km

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Kataragama
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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

Kataragama vs Matale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kataragama costs about 325% more than Matale, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $762 per month in Kataragama and $179 in Matale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $508 in Kataragama and $119 in Matale. That makes Matale about 76% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 533% more in Kataragama, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $508 in Kataragama and $119 in Matale, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.