Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Katunayaka and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Katunayaka: $511 a month against $811 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 Katunayaka
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Katunayaka Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index

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Katunayaka

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$511

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $511 in Katunayaka versus $811 in Colombo.

Katunayaka $511
Colombo $811

Estimated couple costs with rent: $831 in Katunayaka versus $1,298 in Colombo.

Katunayaka $831
Colombo $1,298

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,150 in Katunayaka versus $1,785 in Colombo.

Katunayaka $1,150
Colombo $1,785

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Katunayaka 62% lower, Colombo 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 LKR 1,297

$3.92 LKR 1,304

-0.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.05 LKR 8,331

$24.58 LKR 8,177

1.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.69 LKR 2,558

$7.39 LKR 2,458

4.06%

Cappuccino

$2.55 LKR 847

$2.44 LKR 813

4.51%

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

$0.67 LKR 224

$0.67 LKR 222

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$0.25 LKR 83.1

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 LKR 723

$2.14 LKR 710

1.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 LKR 1,016

$3.03 LKR 1,007

0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 540

$1.58 LKR 525

2.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 178

$0.53 LKR 176

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 264

$0.81 LKR 270

-2.47%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 543

$1.62 LKR 539

0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.37 LKR 5,111

$15.14 LKR 5,035

1.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.06 LKR 1,684

$5.12 LKR 1,701

-1.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.57 LKR 2,519

$7.66 LKR 2,547

-1.17%

Apples (1kg)

$6.46 LKR 2,149

$6.62 LKR 2,201

-2.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 LKR 297

$0.88 LKR 293

1.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 LKR 1,424

$4.15 LKR 1,382

3.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 428

$1.28 LKR 425

0.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 346

$1.04 LKR 347

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.82 LKR 271

-1.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LKR 401

$1.21 LKR 404

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.45 LKR 150

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.08 LKR 3,352

$10.04 LKR 3,338

0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.40 LKR 4,456

$13.69 LKR 4,555

-2.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 LKR 621

$1.93 LKR 643

-3.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 LKR 941

$2.97 LKR 987

-4.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 58.8

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.15 LKR 2,709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$0.37 LKR 123

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 103

$0.34 LKR 112

-8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 311

$0.89 LKR 296

5.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 439

$1.32 LKR 440

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

$44.3K LKR 14.7M

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

1.79%

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

$44.9K LKR 14.9M

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

-0.53%

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

$55.9 LKR 18.6K

$57.7 LKR 19.2K

-3.05%

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

$4.22 LKR 1,405

$4.28 LKR 1,424

-1.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 LKR 6,870

$20.66 LKR 6,872

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.37 LKR 6,775

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.14 LKR 2,043

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 LKR 1,504

$4.63 LKR 1,541

-2.38%

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

$40.29 LKR 13.4K

$40.83 LKR 13.6K

-1.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K LKR 5.7M

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

-0.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.02 LKR 5,993

$18.12 LKR 6,027

-0.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.52 LKR 5,829

$17.34 LKR 5,768

1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 LKR 26.3K

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.78 LKR 13.9K

$41.29 LKR 13.7K

1.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 LKR 187.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 LKR 90.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 LKR 562.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 LKR 191.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,735 LKR 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 385.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$248 LKR 82.6K

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 Katunayaka: November 1, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Katunayaka

$243 47.6%

Colombo

$244 30.1% 0.3% $0.7

Eating Out

Katunayaka

$106 20.7%

Colombo

$103 12.7% 2.2% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Katunayaka

$81 15.8%

Colombo

$83 10.2% 2.3% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Katunayaka

$70 13.8%

Colombo

$69 8.6% 1.2% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Katunayaka

$9 * 1.8%

Colombo

$30 3.7% 228% $21

Getting Around

Katunayaka

$1.9 * 0.4%

Colombo

$11 1.3% 468% $9

Accommodation & Living

Katunayaka

- * 0%

Colombo

$271 33.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Katunayaka vs $25 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $244 per month, with Katunayaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Katunayaka

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

Same time as Katunayaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

84,643

753,000

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Katunayaka Colombo 26 km

From you

Katunayaka
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

Katunayaka vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You’d need roughly $767 in Katunayaka and $1,217 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 $40 in Katunayaka versus $41 in Colombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $511 per month in Katunayaka versus $811 in Colombo – Katunayaka is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Katunayaka 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.