Colombo car rentals

Driving in Colombo traffic involves almost constant vying for space on the road, which is why a compact vehicle might be the best choice for getting around the inner city. That being said, those travelling in larger groups or with plans on exploring the rural areas would be better suited to a bigger vehicle, such as an SUV.

For your car hire in Colombo, it is important to be aware of the speed limits imposed across Sri Lanka. For urban areas, this is 60km/h (roughly 40mph) for cars and light vehicles, which rises to 70km/h (roughly 45mph) outside the city. Of course, going at such speed will only be possible when the traffic permits it and it is always wise to reduce your speed while getting used to Colombo’s roads.

Much of the car parking in Colombo is operated by Tenaga, which not only provides private multi-storey car parks, but also operates the smart parking meters that can be found at the side of the road. A Touch Parking Card can be bought for about Rs.200 (roughly £1.97) and can be used throughout the network, you simply need to top up your balance to ensure you always have money on your card. Parking can also be found in commercial areas, but be aware that use is usually limited to customers only.

On average a rental car in Colombo costs C$ 59 per day.

In the past 72 hours, the cheapest rental cars were found at Hertz (C$ 19/day), SR RENT A CAR (C$ 39/day) and Sri Lanka Rent a Car (C$ 52/day). In the last 72 hours the cheapest rental car price was found at Hertz Lvl 1 130 Nawala Rd 00500 (7 kilometers from city center).

Yes, automatic cars are available in most car renting companies in Colombo. As cars with manual transmission are more common in many countries, you might have to pay an additional charge for renting an automatic car.

The average gas price in Colombo is C$ 6.63 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a gas tank costs between C$ 79 and C$ 106, depending on the car size.

Economy (Suzuki Swift or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in Colombo.

Car rental companies onsite at Bandaranaike Intl airport include SR RENT A CAR and Sri Lanka Rent a Car.

Car rental companies that offer shuttle or pick-up services from Bandaranaike Intl airport to off-airport locations include Casons Rent A Car, Budget and Europcar.

Take a look at our extensive car rental location map to find the best rental cars near you.

An Economy car rental in Colombo costs C$ 39 per day, on average.

A Mini car rental in Colombo costs C$ 42 per day, on average.

A Compact car rental in Colombo costs C$ 44 per day, on average.

In Colombo, cars are most frequently rented at Hertz Lvl 1 130 Nawala Rd (7 km from city centre ).

On average a rental car in Colombo costs C$ 415 per week (C$ 59 per day).

On average a rental car in Colombo costs C$ 1,780 per month (C$ 59 per day).

Some car rental companies in Colombo which have updated their car rental health and safety policies due to COVID-19 to make sure vehicles are clean and disinfected include Budget and Europcar

Children under the age of 12 must remain in the back seat of a car and be appropriately secured in a child safety seat or booster seat that is suited to their height and weight. In addition, no minor under the age of 12 is permitted to ride in the car's front seat.

The BAC legal limit in Colombo is 0.08%. This suggests that a driver 's BAC must be below 0.08% in order to operate a car legally. Driving with a BAC in excess of this limit is a criminal offence that may result in prison time, costly fines, and licence suspension.