Colombo vs Hiriketiya
💰
Colombo saves you $300/month
📶
Hiriketiya has 4x faster internet
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Colombo
Hiriketiya
Total Budget
$900/mo ✓
$1,200/mo
Rent (1BR)
$400/mo ✓
$500/mo
Coworking
$160/mo
$100/mo ✓
Meal Out
$3 ✓
$4
Coffee
$2.5
$2.5
Colombo is $300/mo cheaper (25% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇱🇰 Colombo
📶 Internet22 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+5
🗣️ Englishhigh
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East1h
🇬🇧 London6h
🇩🇪 Berlin7h
🇱🇰 Hiriketiya
📶 Internet80 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+5
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East1h
🇬🇧 London6h
🇩🇪 Berlin7h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Colombo
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp27°C
Rainy Days290/year
Best months: February
Hiriketiya
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp27°C
Rainy Days279/year
Best months: February
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
26°25°
Apr
28°27°
Jul
27°27°
Oct
26°26°
ColomboHiriketiya
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇱🇰Colombo
🇱🇰Hiriketiya
💰
Monthly Budget
$900
Winner$1,200
📶
Internet Speed
22 Mbps
80 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
3/5
4.2/5
Winner⭐
Nomad Score
3.7/10
4.1/10
Winner🍽️
Food Scene
8/10
8/10
🎉
Nightlife
7/10
6/10
🚶
Walkability
6/10
6/10
👥
Community
medium
medium
1
Colombo wins
vs
3
Hiriketiya wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Colombo
$300/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Hiriketiya
80 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋Social Butterfly
Either works
Similar social opportunities
🛡️Safety-First
Hiriketiya
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🇱🇰Colombo
Pros
- +Cost of living still affordable compared to many other Asian capitals
- +Strong food scene with local restaurants, street food and international options
- +Modern coworking spaces and a growing remote worker community
- +Excellent hub to explore the rest of Sri Lanka by train or bus
Cons
- −Hot and humid climate all year with very few truly cool hours
- −Heavy monsoon rains can slow down traffic and outdoor plans
- −Busy roads and constant honking along main streets
- −Sidewalks often broken, blocked or simply missing
🇱🇰Hiriketiya
Pros
- +Beautiful horseshoe bay with consistent surf
- +Growing digital nomad community with coworking spaces
- +Affordable cost of living under $1,500/month
- +Excellent food scene with local and Western options
Cons
- −Internet can be unreliable during power cuts
- −Limited nightlife compared to other destinations
- −Monsoon season May-September limits activities
- −Healthcare requires travel to larger cities