Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Piliyandala and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Piliyandala: $580 a month against $811 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Piliyandala
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Piliyandala Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index

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Piliyandala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$580

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Piliyandala and in Colombo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $580 in Piliyandala versus $811 in Colombo.

Piliyandala $580
Colombo $811

Estimated couple costs with rent: $917 in Piliyandala versus $1,298 in Colombo.

Piliyandala $917
Colombo $1,298

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,253 in Piliyandala versus $1,785 in Colombo.

Piliyandala $1,253
Colombo $1,785

Living in Piliyandala costs roughly 28% less than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Piliyandala 57% lower, Colombo 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 LKR 1,017

$3.92 LKR 1,304

-21.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.26 LKR 4,078

$24.58 LKR 8,177

-50.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 LKR 2,541

$7.39 LKR 2,458

3.38%

Cappuccino

$2.57 LKR 856

$2.44 LKR 813

5.33%

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

$0.73 LKR 243

$0.67 LKR 222

8.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.6

$0.25 LKR 83.1

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 749

$2.14 LKR 710

5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 LKR 1,014

$3.03 LKR 1,007

0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 526

$1.58 LKR 525

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 187

$0.53 LKR 176

5.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 268

$0.81 LKR 270

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$1.62 LKR 539

5.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 LKR 5,019

$15.14 LKR 5,035

-0.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 LKR 1,643

$5.12 LKR 1,701

-3.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 LKR 2,544

$7.66 LKR 2,547

-0.13%

Apples (1kg)

$6.52 LKR 2,168

$6.62 LKR 2,201

-1.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 273

$0.88 LKR 293

-6.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 LKR 1,420

$4.15 LKR 1,382

2.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 424

$1.28 LKR 425

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.04 LKR 347

2.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 275

$0.82 LKR 271

1.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 LKR 415

$1.21 LKR 404

3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 LKR 3,452

$10.04 LKR 3,338

3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 LKR 4,430

$13.69 LKR 4,555

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 LKR 623

$1.93 LKR 643

-3.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 LKR 971

$2.97 LKR 987

-1.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.18 LKR 58.8

105.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.15 LKR 2,709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 136

$0.37 LKR 123

10.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 105

$0.34 LKR 112

-8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 291

$0.89 LKR 296

-2.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 445

$1.32 LKR 440

1.52%

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

$42.9K LKR 14.3M

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

-1.61%

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

$46.2K LKR 15.4M

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

2.40%

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

$55.9 LKR 18.6K

$57.7 LKR 19.2K

-3.12%

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

$4.25 LKR 1,413

$4.28 LKR 1,424

-0.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.79 LKR 6,914

$20.66 LKR 6,872

0.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.37 LKR 6,775

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.14 LKR 2,043

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 LKR 1,491

$4.63 LKR 1,541

-3.24%

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

$40.91 LKR 13.6K

$40.83 LKR 13.6K

0.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

-0.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.85 LKR 5,937

$18.12 LKR 6,027

-1.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.46 LKR 5,806

$17.34 LKR 5,768

0.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 LKR 25.9K

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.22 LKR 13.7K

$41.29 LKR 13.7K

-0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$107 LKR 35.6K

$565 LKR 187.8K

-81.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.2 LKR 25.0K

$271 LKR 90.1K

-72.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 LKR 84.0K

$1,691 LKR 562.4K

-85.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 LKR 60.1K

$574 LKR 191.1K

-68.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,735 LKR 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 385.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 LKR 100.3K

$248 LKR 82.6K

21.36%

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 Piliyandala: November 2, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Piliyandala

$243 41.8%

Colombo

$244 30.1% 0.7% $1.6

Eating Out

Piliyandala

$100 17.2%

Colombo

$103 12.7% 3.6% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Piliyandala

$81 14%

Colombo

$83 10.2% 2.1% $1.7

Accommodation & Living

Piliyandala

$75 13%

Colombo

$271 33.4% 260% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Piliyandala

$70 12%

Colombo

$69 8.6% 0.1% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Piliyandala

$9 * 1.6%

Colombo

$30 3.7% 230% $21

Getting Around

Piliyandala

$3.5 * 0.6%

Colombo

$11 1.3% 215% $7.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $107 in Piliyandala and $565 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piliyandala pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12 in Piliyandala vs $25 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $244 per month, with Piliyandala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Piliyandala

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

02:25 2:25 AM

Same time as Piliyandala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

💱 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

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Between locations

Piliyandala Colombo 18 km

From you

Piliyandala
Colombo

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

Piliyandala vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piliyandala wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Piliyandala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Piliyandala, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $107 in Piliyandala versus $565 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $580 per month in Piliyandala versus $811 in Colombo – Piliyandala is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Piliyandala – a meal for two runs $12 versus $25 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Piliyandala gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.