Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's commercial capital, a tropical city with colonial remnants, Buddhist temples, and a gateway to the island's stunning beaches and hill country.
#241 of 250
92% below average
Monthly cost, one adult
$ 133
Based on NYC = 100 index
Total does not include Housing, Entertainment, & Healthcare — no scraped prices there (N/A)
Colombo is the 241. most expensive of the 250 cities we track — a month here comes to $ 133 for one adult.
Cheaper here than almost anywhere else is utilities, 95% below the median: mobile plan (10gb+) $ 2, internet (60 mbps+) $ 5. You also get off lightly on basic grocery basket, restaurants.
Percentages compare this city against the median of all tracked cities, category by category.
10 prices on this page come from live scrapers (1 sources, observed October 13, 2026 to October 13, 2026). They are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit CostCompass and link this page.
CostCompass (2026). Cost of living in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Data as of 2026-10-14. https://costcompass.net/living/cities/colombo. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
| Item | Price (USD) | Observations | Last observed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken Breast (1kg) | 4.10 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | WFP food prices |
| Fish Fillet (1kg) | 3.47 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | WFP food prices |
| Eggs (12) | 1.10 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | WFP food prices |
| Rice (1kg) | 0.70 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | WFP food prices |
| Potatoes (1kg) | 0.69 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | WFP food prices |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | 0.74 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | WFP food prices |
| Carrots (1kg) | 1.08 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | WFP food prices |
| Onions (1kg) | 0.78 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | WFP food prices |
| Banana (1kg) | 0.43 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | WFP food prices |
| Lentils (1kg) | 0.82 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | WFP food prices |
Cities where the money splits the same way
Nepal
Similar share of Basic Grocery Basket & Clothing · compared on 5 of 8 categories
Indonesia
Similar share of Restaurants & Basic Grocery Basket · compared on 5 of 8 categories
Indonesia
Similar share of Restaurants · compared on 5 of 8 categories
Laos
Similar share of Transportation & Utilities · compared on 5 of 8 categories
Monthly average costs by category
N/A
$ 20
per month
$ 60
per month
$ 38
per month
$ 6
per month
N/A
N/A
$ 9
per month