Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maharagama and London

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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Maharagama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$133

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maharagama and in London

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

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

Maharagama $133
London $3,986

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

Maharagama $250
London $5,791

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

Maharagama $367
London $7,595

Maharagama is about 97% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.39 LKR 1,785

$25.93 £19.45

-79.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.20 LKR 6,690

$107 £79.9

-81.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 LKR 2,260

$10.71 £8.03

-36.32%

Cappuccino

$2.12 LKR 701

$5.47 £4.11

-61.24%

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

$0.59 LKR 196

$2.97 £2.23

-80.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 LKR 94.8

$2.20 £1.65

-86.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 LKR 307

$1.86 £1.40

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 LKR 83.2

$2.07 £1.55

-87.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.49 LKR 162

$2.42 £1.81

-79.75%

Eggs

$1.49 LKR 494

$5.09 £3.82

-70.73%

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)

$0.44 LKR 146

$5.58 £4.18

-92.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 LKR 155

$3.36 £2.52

-86.01%

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)

$4.63 LKR 1,534

$17.82 £13.37

-74.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.62 LKR 4,510

$40.37 £30.29

-66.26%

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)

$197 LKR 65.3K

$5,266 £3,951

-96.25%

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)

$244 LKR 80.7K

$5,037 £3,779

-95.16%

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 Maharagama: October 12, 2026

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maharagama

–

London

$2.2K 56%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maharagama

–

London

$430 10.8%

Eating Out

Maharagama

–

London

$388 9.7%

Groceries & Markets

Maharagama

–

London

$349 8.8%

Getting Around

Maharagama

–

London

$285 7.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Maharagama

–

London

$205 5.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Maharagama

–

London

$95 2.4%

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 $20.00 in Maharagama versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $20.00 vs $349 – making Maharagama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Maharagama

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

08:36 8:36 AM

4 h 30 min behind Maharagama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

196,400

8,908,083 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

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).

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).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Maharagama London 8,720 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Maharagama
London

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

Maharagama vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $133 in Maharagama and $3,986 in London. 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.