Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $847 in Alexandria versus $727 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Alexandria versus $1,162 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,975 in Alexandria versus $1,596 in Colombo.

Living in Alexandria is roughly 16% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandria 36% lower, Colombo 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.27 RON 42.12

$3.93 LKR 1,318

135.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.98 RON 150

$24.88 LKR 8,349

32.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 RON 31.17

$8.46 LKR 2,839

-18.91%

Cappuccino

$1.87 RON 8.48

$2.74 LKR 920

-31.75%

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

$1.94 RON 8.81

$0.75 LKR 250

158.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 RON 7.50

$0.40 LKR 136

312.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 RON 10.75

$2.32 LKR 777

2.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 RON 12.92

$3.27 LKR 1,098

-13.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 RON 6.34

$1.78 LKR 596

-21.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 RON 5.49

$0.56 LKR 188

116.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 RON 6.41

$0.87 LKR 293

62.07%

Eggs

$1.35 RON 6.14

$2.18 LKR 733

-38.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.41 RON 24.58

$13.99 LKR 4,694

-61.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.53 RON 20.60

$4.71 LKR 1,582

-3.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 RON 40.13

$8.21 LKR 2,755

7.55%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 RON 4.03

$7.43 LKR 2,495

-88.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.10

$1.06 LKR 356

47.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 RON 5.07

$5.73 LKR 1,923

-80.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.37

$1.26 LKR 423

-6.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 RON 2.02

$1.11 LKR 373

-60.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RON 3.23

$1.42 LKR 476

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 RON 2.17

$1.16 LKR 388

-58.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 RON 3.02

$0.56 LKR 187

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.44 RON 24.74

$10.07 LKR 3,381

-45.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.35 RON 24.31

$12.68 LKR 4,254

-57.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 RON 3.22

$2.08 LKR 696

-65.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.24

$2.97 LKR 997

-68.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.03

$0.16 LKR 55.2

318.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.47 RON 107

$5.07 LKR 1,702

362.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 RON 2.01

$0.42 LKR 140

4.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 RON 2.00

$0.32 LKR 109

37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 RON 22.69

$0.58 LKR 194

760.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 RON 7.16

$1.21 LKR 404

29.75%

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

$17.9K RON 81.6K

$26.4K LKR 8.9M

-31.97%

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

$23.6K RON 107.5K

$35.4K LKR 11.9M

-33.18%

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

$119 RON 542

$59.7 LKR 20.0K

99.77%

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

$7.10 RON 32.27

$4.30 LKR 1,441

65.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.81 RON 30.98

$15.04 LKR 5,045

-54.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.79 RON 172

$14.69 LKR 4,929

157.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.06 RON 41.17

$7.27 LKR 2,441

24.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.51 RON 20.50

$3.45 LKR 1,157

30.72%

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

$428 RON 1,947

$36.16 LKR 12.1K

1084.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,898 RON 31.4K

$448 LKR 150.2K

1441.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 RON 317

$27.11 LKR 9,097

156.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.86 RON 154

$19.30 LKR 6,478

75.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 RON 309

$70.6 LKR 23.7K

-3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 RON 315

$39.20 LKR 13.2K

76.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 RON 1,558

$368 LKR 123.5K

-6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 RON 1,053

$179 LKR 60.1K

29.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 RON 3,732

$940 LKR 315.4K

-12.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 RON 2,618

$369 LKR 123.8K

56.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,282 RON 5,828

$3,615 LKR 1.2M

-64.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$827 RON 3,758

$1,180 LKR 395.9K

-29.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$882 RON 4,009

$244 LKR 81.9K

261.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

16.45

-60.49%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alexandria: July 27, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $343 in Alexandria and $368 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria pays 261% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Alexandria vs $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $155 vs $258, with Alexandria cheaper for home cooking.

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

Alexandria vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Alexandria. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 261% higher in Alexandria, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $343 in Alexandria versus $368 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $847 per month in Alexandria versus $727 in Colombo – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Colombo runs roughly 363% less than in Alexandria. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Colombo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $727 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Alexandria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.