Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matale and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

For one person, living is cheaper in Matale: $226 a month against $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Living Index

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Matale

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$226

/mo nomad

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matale and in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $226 per month in Matale vs $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, rent included.

Matale $226
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $707

A couple spends around $370 per month in Matale vs $1,096 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, rent included.

Matale $370
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,096

A family of three spends $513 per month in Matale vs $1,485 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, rent included.

Matale $513
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,485

Matale is about 68% cheaper than Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Matale and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte are more affordable than the global median – Matale 83% lower, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.76 LKR 584

$3.84 LKR 1,271

-54.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.99 LKR 2,979

$25.15 LKR 8,331

-64.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 LKR 1,493

$7.65 LKR 2,533

-41.05%

Cappuccino

$2.57 LKR 852

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

$0.49 LKR 162

$0.73 LKR 241

-32.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 LKR 72.8

$0.25 LKR 81.8

-12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 LKR 787

$2.22 LKR 735

7.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 LKR 617

$2.98 LKR 989

-37.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 LKR 487

$1.27 LKR 421

15.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.58 LKR 191

-20.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 LKR 208

$0.74 LKR 246

-14.86%

Eggs

$1.59 LKR 528

$1.72 LKR 568

-7.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.73 LKR 3,221

$13.81 LKR 4,576

-29.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 LKR 1,189

$4.41 LKR 1,462

-18.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.43 LKR 2,461

$5.29 LKR 1,754

40.45%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 LKR 2,058

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 LKR 184

$0.84 LKR 279

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 LKR 1,445

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$1.20 LKR 397

-27.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 LKR 173

$0.87 LKR 288

-40.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 LKR 173

$0.82 LKR 270

-36.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 291

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 151

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.15 LKR 3,031

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 LKR 4,216

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 LKR 539

$1.95 LKR 645

-16.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LKR 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 LKR 103

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 LKR 83.1

$0.38 LKR 125

-34.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 LKR 376

$1.15 LKR 381

-0.87%

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

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

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

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

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

$45.62 LKR 15.1K

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

$3.75 LKR 1,244

$4.36 LKR 1,445

-13.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.16 LKR 4,028

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.89 LKR 4,933

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 LKR 1,020

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

$37.61 LKR 12.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$896 LKR 296.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.70 LKR 7,851

$18.40 LKR 6,093

28.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.89 LKR 5,593

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 LKR 26.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$10.70 LKR 3,544

$41.35 LKR 13.7K

-74.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 LKR 101.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$43.05 LKR 14.3K

$224 LKR 74.1K

-80.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 LKR 147.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$61.6 LKR 20.4K

$382 LKR 126.4K

-83.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$692 LKR 229.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$531 LKR 175.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 LKR 54.4K

$298 LKR 98.8K

-44.88%

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 Matale: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Matale

–

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$224 31.7%

Groceries & Markets

Matale

–

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$222 31.4%

Eating Out

Matale

–

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$105 14.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Matale

–

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$70 9.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matale

–

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$62 8.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Matale

–

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$21 3%

Getting Around

Matale

–

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$2.2 * 0.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 81% higher in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, 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 $9.00 in Matale versus $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $116 vs $222 – making Matale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Matale

🇱🇰 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

Same time as Matale

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,800

115,826 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Matale Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 100 km

From you

Matale
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte costs about 213% 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 $338 per month in Matale and $1,060 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $226 in Matale and $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. That's a gap of about 213%.

Groceries cost about 91% more in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $226 in Matale and $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Matale – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Matale. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.