Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Maharagama

For one person, living is cheaper in Maharagama: $133 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $46,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Maharagama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Maharagama

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $133 in Maharagama, rent included.

London $3,986
Maharagama $133

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $250 in Maharagama, rent included.

London $5,791
Maharagama $250

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $367 in Maharagama, rent included.

London $7,595
Maharagama $367

London costs about 2892% more than Maharagama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

London sits 195% above the global median, while Maharagama is 90% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.93 £19.45

$5.39 LKR 1,785

381.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$20.20 LKR 6,690

427.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.03

$6.82 LKR 2,260

57.04%

Cappuccino

$5.47 £4.11

$2.12 LKR 701

158.02%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$0.59 LKR 196

403.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.65

$0.29 LKR 94.8

658.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.40

$0.93 LKR 307

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$0.25 LKR 83.2

728.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$0.49 LKR 162

393.88%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.82

$1.49 LKR 494

241.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 £9.66

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 £7.82

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.66

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.31

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.28 £17.46

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 £9.77

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$247 £185

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$0.44 LKR 146

1168.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 £2.52

$0.47 LKR 155

614.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 £42.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

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

$38.2K £28.6K

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

$40.9K £30.7K

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

$372 £279

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

$17.82 £13.37

$4.63 LKR 1,534

284.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.29

$13.62 LKR 4,510

196.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 £44.99

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.31

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

$2,864 £2,149

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 £40.71

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £93.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 £122

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 £2,152

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 £1,675

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,266 £3,951

$197 LKR 65.3K

2569.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,778 £2,835

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,020

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,779

$244 LKR 80.7K

1967.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Maharagama: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.2K 56%

Maharagama

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$430 10.8%

Maharagama

–

Eating Out

London

$388 9.7%

Maharagama

–

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.8%

Maharagama

–

Getting Around

London

$285 7.2%

Maharagama

–

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

Maharagama

–

Sport & Entertainment

London

$95 2.4%

Maharagama

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 1968% higher in London, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London versus $20.00 in Maharagama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $20.00 – making Maharagama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇱🇰 Maharagama

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

21:30 9:30 PM

4 h 30 min ahead of London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

196,400

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

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London Maharagama 8,720 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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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

London vs Maharagama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,986 in London, $133 in Maharagama – roughly 2892% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $200 in Maharagama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London and $20.00 in Maharagama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,986 in London and $133 in Maharagama. That's a gap of about 2892%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Maharagama, where all-in costs run around $133, than in London at $3,986. In Maharagama it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $133 in Maharagama to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Maharagama. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.