Sri Lanka (LK)
Sri Lanka is South Asia's most beloved island destination — a tropical tear-drop off India's southern tip offering ancient Buddhist temples, colonial hill stations, spice gardens, surf beaches, and world-renowned tea.
Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Region: Asia
Language: Sinhala
Currency: LKR (Rs)
Cost of living: Very affordable (index 28)
Emergency: 119
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Cost of Living
Real prices in Sri Lanka — 2026 data in LKR.
28
Cost of living index
(100 = NYC reference)
Very affordable compared to major global cities. Your money goes a long way here.
Rent
Studio/1BR apartment, Colombo 3/5/7 (furnished) LKR 80,000–180,000
2BR apartment, Colombo 3/7 (furnished, gated) LKR 150,000–350,000
3BR apartment, Colombo 7 (Cinnamon Gardens, premium) LKR 250,000–600,000
3BR house with garden, Colombo suburbs (Nugegoda, Battaramulla) LKR 100,000–250,000
1BR apartment, Kandy (city) LKR 40,000–90,000
2BR house, Galle/Unawatuna coastal area LKR 60,000–200,000
Food & Groceries
Basmati/local white rice (1 kg) LKR 200–350
Chicken (1 kg, fresh) LKR 700–900
Fish (tuna/seer fish, 1 kg) LKR 900–1,500
Eggs (12) LKR 400–550
Milk (1 litre, fresh or UHT) LKR 200–300
Bread (400g white loaf) LKR 100–180
Fresh vegetables (1 kg local) LKR 80–300
Coconut (fresh) LKR 60–120
Imported beer (Carlsberg, Heineken, 330ml) LKR 450–700
Lion Lager (Sri Lankan beer, 330ml) LKR 300–450
Local arrack (750ml, Mendis or Rockland) LKR 700–1,200
Dining Out
Rice and curry meal, local "hotel" (eatery) LKR 300–700
Kottu roti (large, with egg/chicken) LKR 400–800
Hoppers and curry (breakfast) LKR 200–500
Mid-range restaurant meal (per person) LKR 1,500–4,000
Fine dining (Ministry of Crab, Gallery Café — per person) LKR 6,000–18,000
Coffee at a café (Barista, KAMU Coffee) LKR 350–600
Fresh coconut water (thambili, roadside) LKR 60–120
Ceylon tea at local café LKR 30–100
Ginger beer (Elephant House, 400ml) LKR 120–200
Transport
Tuk-tuk (3 km, PickMe app) LKR 150–300
PickMe car (5 km, Colombo) LKR 300–500
Uber (5 km, Colombo) LKR 350–600
Bus (Colombo city route) LKR 15–80
Train (Colombo–Kandy, second class) LKR 190
Train (Colombo–Ella, second class reserved) LKR 900–1,200
Petrol (92 octane, per litre) LKR 330–360
Diesel (per litre) LKR 300–330
Southern Expressway toll (Colombo–Matara) LKR 740 (full length)
Airport taxi (BIA to Colombo 3) LKR 3,000–4,000
Utilities
Electricity (1BR apartment, moderate AC) LKR 3,000–9,000
Electricity (3BR house, heavy AC) LKR 10,000–30,000
Water (apartment) LKR 500–2,000
LPG gas cylinder (12.5 kg, Litro) LKR 3,000–3,500
Broadband internet (SLT/Dialog, 25 Mbps) LKR 1,999–2,999
Broadband internet (100 Mbps, premium) LKR 3,999–5,999
Mobile SIM + data (Dialog, 10GB) LKR 490–800/month
Health & Insurance
GP consultation (private clinic, Colombo) LKR 2,000–5,000
Specialist consultation (Asiri Central) LKR 4,000–10,000
Blood test (full panel, private lab) LKR 3,000–8,000
MRI scan (private hospital) LKR 25,000–50,000
Dental check-up + clean (private) LKR 3,000–6,000
Prescription antibiotics (5-day course) LKR 500–2,000
International health insurance (individual, annual) LKR 100,000–400,000/year
Childcare
International school fees (Colombo International School, per year) LKR 2,500,000–7,000,000
International school fees (British School in Colombo, per year) LKR 1,900,000–5,800,000
Private nursery/kindergarten (Colombo) LKR 15,000–50,000/month
Nanny/au pair (live-in, local) LKR 20,000–50,000/month
Private tutor (per hour, English) LKR 1,500–5,000
Sinhala/Tamil language class (per hour) LKR 1,000–3,000
Leisure
Movie ticket (PVR/Liberty Cinema, Colombo) LKR 600–1,500
Gym membership (Energy Fitness, Colombo, monthly) LKR 4,000–12,000
Yoga class (Colombo, per session) LKR 1,500–3,500
Safari jeep, Yala National Park (half-day) LKR 15,000–25,000
Whale watching boat trip (Mirissa) LKR 4,500–7,000
Surf lesson (Hikkaduwa/Arugam Bay, 1.5hr) LKR 3,000–6,000
Colombo National Museum entry LKR 600 (foreigner)
Sigiriya Rock entry fee (non-SAARC nationals) LKR 9,500
Cost of Living
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