Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matale and Bentota

For one person, living is cheaper in Matale: $119 a month against $777 in Bentota, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Bentota
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Bentota Living Index

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Matale

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$119

/mo nomad

Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matale and in Bentota

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $119 in Matale versus $777 in Bentota.

Matale $119
Bentota $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $199 in Matale versus $896 in Bentota.

Matale $199
Bentota $896

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $278 in Matale versus $1,014 in Bentota.

Matale $278
Bentota $1,014

Living in Matale costs roughly 85% less than in Bentota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Matale 91% lower, Bentota 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.86 LKR 618

$3.78 LKR 1,257

-50.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.21 LKR 3,063

$12.00 LKR 3,992

-23.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.62 LKR 1,537

$7.36 LKR 2,447

-37.23%

Cappuccino

$2.47 LKR 822

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

$0.47 LKR 157

$0.71 LKR 236

-33.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.25 LKR 83.1

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 LKR 805

$2.19 LKR 728

10.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 LKR 1,031

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 LKR 565

$1.57 LKR 523

8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.52 LKR 174

-28.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 LKR 227

$0.80 LKR 267

-15.00%

Eggs

$1.11 LKR 368

$1.65 LKR 549

-32.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.18 LKR 5,049

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 LKR 1,119

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.47 LKR 1,488

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 LKR 2,247

Banana (1kg)

$0.58 LKR 192

$0.76 LKR 254

-23.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 LKR 1,356

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 LKR 286

$0.86 LKR 287

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 LKR 183

$1.07 LKR 357

-48.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 LKR 172

$0.82 LKR 274

-36.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LKR 402

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 139

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 LKR 3,347

Wine (Bottle)

$13.69 LKR 4,554

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 LKR 631

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 LKR 956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 LKR 62.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 LKR 96.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 LKR 461

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

$44.0K LKR 14.7M

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

$45.0K LKR 15.0M

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

$57.4 LKR 19.1K

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

$3.74 LKR 1,242

$2.32 LKR 770

61.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.88 LKR 2,952

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 LKR 1,526

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

$40.65 LKR 13.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K LKR 5.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.34 LKR 6,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.33 LKR 5,763

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.51 LKR 13.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 LKR 181.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$33.57 LKR 11.2K

$302 LKR 100.4K

-88.87%

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 Matale: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bentota: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Matale

–

Bentota

$302 38.8%

Groceries & Markets

Matale

–

Bentota

$223 28.7%

Eating Out

Matale

–

Bentota

$103 13.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Matale

–

Bentota

$70 9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matale

–

Bentota

$69 8.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Matale

–

Bentota

$9.2 * 1.2%

Getting Around

Matale

–

Bentota

$2.6 * 0.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $9 in Matale vs $12 in Bentota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $38 vs $223 per month, with Matale cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Matale

🇱🇰 Bentota

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

Same time as Matale

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,800

37,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Matale Bentota 140 km

From you

Matale
Bentota

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

Matale vs Bentota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matale is about 85% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $179 in Matale and $1,166 in Bentota 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 482% higher in Bentota. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Matale – a meal for two runs $9 versus $12 in Bentota. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.