Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolonnawa and Matale

For one person, living is cheaper in Matale: $226 a month against $488 in Kolonnawa, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Kolonnawa
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Kolonnawa Living Index

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Kolonnawa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$488

/mo nomad

Matale

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$226

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $488 per month in Kolonnawa vs $226 in Matale, rent included.

Kolonnawa $488
Matale $226

A couple spends around $794 per month in Kolonnawa vs $369 in Matale, rent included.

Kolonnawa $794
Matale $369

A family of three spends $1,100 per month in Kolonnawa vs $512 in Matale, rent included.

Kolonnawa $1,100
Matale $512

Kolonnawa costs about 116% more than Matale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kolonnawa and Matale are more affordable than the global median – Kolonnawa 64% lower, Matale 83% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 LKR 1,285

$1.83 LKR 608

111.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.33 LKR 8,422

$8.76 LKR 2,914

189.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 LKR 2,453

$4.39 LKR 1,458

68.11%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 816

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

$0.71 LKR 236

$0.45 LKR 151

57.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.6

$0.24 LKR 80.3

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 LKR 718

$2.45 LKR 814

-11.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 LKR 1,018

$1.77 LKR 590

72.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 519

$1.46 LKR 484

6.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 178

$0.42 LKR 141

26.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.58 LKR 192

$0.68 LKR 226

-14.71%

Eggs

$1.66 LKR 551

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 LKR 3,502

$9.81 LKR 3,262

7.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 LKR 1,539

$3.56 LKR 1,182

30.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.32 LKR 2,433

$7.23 LKR 2,405

1.24%

Apples (1kg)

$6.75 LKR 2,243

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 281

$0.52 LKR 173

63.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 LKR 1,472

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 439

$0.94 LKR 311

40.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 347

$0.57 LKR 188

82.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$0.55 LKR 185

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.34 LKR 3,436

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 LKR 3,489

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 LKR 588

$1.64 LKR 545

7.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 LKR 738

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 53.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.23 LKR 75.8

52.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 LKR 442

$1.15 LKR 383

15.65%

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

$43.9K LKR 14.6M

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

$41.1K LKR 13.7M

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

$59.6 LKR 19.8K

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

$3.67 LKR 1,220

14.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 LKR 6,870

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 LKR 1,546

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

$37.35 LKR 12.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,188 LKR 394.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.07 LKR 6,007

$23.96 LKR 7,965

-24.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.73 LKR 5,562

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 LKR 26.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.69 LKR 13.9K

$10.52 LKR 3,496

296.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$42.99 LKR 14.3K

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 Kolonnawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Matale: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kolonnawa

$217 44.6%

Matale

–

Eating Out

Kolonnawa

$103 21.2%

Matale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kolonnawa

$84 17.3%

Matale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kolonnawa

$70 14.5%

Matale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kolonnawa

$9.3 * 1.9%

Matale

–

Getting Around

Kolonnawa

$2.8 * 0.6%

Matale

–

Accommodation & Living

Kolonnawa

- * 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 Kolonnawa versus $9 in Matale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $116 – making Matale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kolonnawa

🇱🇰 Matale

🕒 Local time

01:58 1:58 AM

Same time as Kolonnawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,800

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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Between locations

Kolonnawa Matale 100 km

From you

Kolonnawa
Matale

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

Kolonnawa vs Matale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolonnawa costs about 116% 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 $732 per month in Kolonnawa and $338 in Matale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $488 in Kolonnawa and $226 in Matale. That makes Matale about 54% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 88% more in Kolonnawa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $488 in Kolonnawa and $226 in Matale, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Kolonnawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $226 in Matale to $488 in Kolonnawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.