Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Matale

For one person, living is cheaper in Matale: $229 a month against $722 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Learn more

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Living Index

Jump to prices

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$722

/mo nomad

Matale

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$229

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Matale actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $722 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $229 in Matale, rent included.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $722
Matale $229

A couple spends around $1,102 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $376 in Matale, rent included.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,102
Matale $376

A family of three spends $1,482 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $523 in Matale, rent included.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,482
Matale $523

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte costs about 215% more than Matale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Matale are more affordable than the global median – Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 46% lower, Matale 83% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 LKR 1,472

$1.86 LKR 616

139.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.82 LKR 7,880

$9.18 LKR 3,036

159.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.69 LKR 2,544

$4.49 LKR 1,485

71.27%

Cappuccino

$2.51 LKR 831

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

$0.68 LKR 225

$0.45 LKR 150

51.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$0.22 LKR 72.4

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 LKR 720

$2.41 LKR 797

-9.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 LKR 978

$1.78 LKR 587

66.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 LKR 420

$1.48 LKR 489

-14.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 186

$0.43 LKR 142

30.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 LKR 225

$0.66 LKR 219

3.03%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 540

$1.64 LKR 543

-0.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.78 LKR 4,558

$9.84 LKR 3,254

40.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 LKR 1,418

$3.64 LKR 1,205

17.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.59 LKR 1,848

$7.40 LKR 2,450

-24.46%

Apples (1kg)

$6.18 LKR 2,043

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 275

$0.54 LKR 180

53.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 LKR 1,444

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 LKR 410

$0.88 LKR 290

40.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$0.56 LKR 186

55.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 251

$0.53 LKR 174

43.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 290

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 153

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.11 LKR 3,015

Wine (Bottle)

$12.51 LKR 4,139

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 LKR 656

$1.62 LKR 537

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 971

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 LKR 95.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 115

$0.25 LKR 82.8

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 LKR 376

$1.12 LKR 372

1.79%

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

$37.7K LKR 12.5M

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

$41.1K LKR 13.6M

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

$44.81 LKR 14.8K

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

$4.19 LKR 1,387

$3.87 LKR 1,281

8.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.29 LKR 4,067

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.92 LKR 4,935

Cinema Ticket

$2.99 LKR 990

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

$38.32 LKR 12.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$897 LKR 296.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.25 LKR 6,039

$24.58 LKR 8,133

-25.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.51 LKR 5,462

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 LKR 26.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.24 LKR 14.0K

$10.79 LKR 3,569

291.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 LKR 99.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 LKR 76.5K

$43.53 LKR 14.4K

431.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 LKR 150.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 LKR 123.6K

$62.6 LKR 20.7K

496.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$671 LKR 221.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$524 LKR 173.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$298 LKR 98.7K

$160 LKR 52.8K

86.99%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Matale: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$231 32.3%

Matale

–

Groceries & Markets

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$221 30.8%

Matale

–

Eating Out

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$109 15.3%

Matale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$70 9.8%

Matale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$61 8.6%

Matale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$21 2.9%

Matale

–

Getting Around

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$2 * 0.3%

Matale

–

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 87% 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 $24.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $9.00 in Matale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $117 – making Matale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Matale

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

Same time as Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,826 Capital

40,800

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Matale 100 km

From you

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Matale

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 Matale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte costs about 215% 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 $1,083 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $344 in Matale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $722 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $229 in Matale. That's a gap of about 215%.

Groceries cost about 89% 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 $722 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $229 in Matale, 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.