Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: $707 a month against $803 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index

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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$707

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$803

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and in Colombo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $803 in Colombo.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $707
Colombo $803

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,096 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $1,208 in Colombo.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,096
Colombo $1,208

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,485 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $1,614 in Colombo.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,485
Colombo $1,614

Living in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte costs roughly 12% less than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 48% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 LKR 1,271

$3.77 LKR 1,250

1.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.15 LKR 8,331

$25.25 LKR 8,362

-0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 LKR 2,533

$7.61 LKR 2,519

0.53%

Cappuccino

$2.57 LKR 852

$2.58 LKR 856

-0.39%

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

$0.73 LKR 241

$0.68 LKR 225

7.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 81.8

$0.25 LKR 82.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 735

$2.26 LKR 748

-1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 989

$3.00 LKR 995

-0.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 LKR 421

$1.63 LKR 541

-22.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 191

$0.57 LKR 187

1.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 246

$0.79 LKR 263

-6.33%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 568

$1.70 LKR 563

1.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 LKR 4,576

$13.65 LKR 4,522

1.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,462

$4.84 LKR 1,604

-8.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.29 LKR 1,754

$7.62 LKR 2,525

-30.58%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 LKR 2,058

$6.51 LKR 2,156

-4.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 279

$0.85 LKR 283

-1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 LKR 1,445

$4.49 LKR 1,487

-2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 LKR 397

$1.34 LKR 443

-10.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$0.99 LKR 329

-12.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$0.82 LKR 271

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 291

$0.92 LKR 305

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 151

$0.45 LKR 150

2.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.15 LKR 3,031

$10.17 LKR 3,370

-10.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 LKR 4,216

$12.69 LKR 4,204

0.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 645

$1.87 LKR 621

4.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LKR 1,001

$2.94 LKR 973

2.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 LKR 57.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.01 LKR 2,322

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 LKR 103

$0.38 LKR 124

-18.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.37 LKR 124

2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

$0.93 LKR 308

-5.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 381

$1.37 LKR 454

-16.06%

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

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

0.16%

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

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

-0.81%

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

$45.62 LKR 15.1K

$59.8 LKR 19.8K

-23.75%

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

$4.36 LKR 1,445

$4.36 LKR 1,444

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.16 LKR 4,028

$20.96 LKR 6,942

-41.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.89 LKR 4,933

$14.22 LKR 4,710

4.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 LKR 1,870

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 LKR 1,020

$4.60 LKR 1,525

-33.04%

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

$37.61 LKR 12.5K

$37.19 LKR 12.3K

1.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$896 LKR 296.9K

$1,224 LKR 405.3K

-26.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.40 LKR 6,093

$18.18 LKR 6,020

1.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.89 LKR 5,593

$16.85 LKR 5,580

0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 LKR 26.3K

$77.5 LKR 25.7K

2.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.35 LKR 13.7K

$41.83 LKR 13.9K

-1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 LKR 101.7K

$567 LKR 187.8K

-45.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 LKR 74.1K

$274 LKR 90.6K

-18.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 LKR 147.4K

$1,506 LKR 498.9K

-70.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 LKR 126.4K

$424 LKR 140.4K

-9.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$692 LKR 229.3K

$3,742 LKR 1.2M

-81.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$531 LKR 175.9K

$1,160 LKR 384.1K

-54.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$298 LKR 98.8K

$253 LKR 83.9K

17.69%

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: October 19, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$224 31.7%

Colombo

$274 34.1% 22.3% $50

Groceries & Markets

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$222 31.4%

Colombo

$237 29.5% 6.7% $15

Eating Out

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$105 14.9%

Colombo

$105 13.1% 0.4% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$70 9.9%

Colombo

$69 8.7% 1% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$62 8.8%

Colombo

$85 10.6% 37% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$21 3%

Colombo

$23 2.9% 11.3% $2.4

Getting Around

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$2.2 * 0.3%

Colombo

$10 1.2% 353% $7.8

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 $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $567 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $237 per month, with Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

Same time as Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,826 Capital

753,000

💱 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

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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Colombo 9 km

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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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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

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, 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: $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $567 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $37.61 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $37.19 in Colombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $25.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $803 in Colombo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $707 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Colombo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.