Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barranquilla and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Colombo: $805 a month against $1,473 in Barranquilla, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Barranquilla
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Barranquilla Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index

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Barranquilla

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,473

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$805

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barranquilla and in Colombo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barranquilla and in Colombo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,473 per month in Barranquilla vs $805 in Colombo, rent included.

Barranquilla $1,473
Colombo $805

A couple spends around $2,280 per month in Barranquilla vs $1,211 in Colombo, rent included.

Barranquilla $2,280
Colombo $1,211

A family of three spends $3,087 per month in Barranquilla vs $1,617 in Colombo, rent included.

Barranquilla $3,087
Colombo $1,617

Barranquilla costs about 83% more than Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Barranquilla sits 9% above the global median, while Colombo is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.26 COP 29.4K

$3.89 LKR 1,287

138.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 COP 198.5K

$24.55 LKR 8,130

155.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 COP 44.5K

$7.60 LKR 2,519

84.47%

Cappuccino

$2.73 COP 8,664

$2.55 LKR 845

7.06%

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

$1.33 COP 4,230

$0.68 LKR 226

95.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 COP 4,016

$0.27 LKR 89.8

370.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 COP 10.1K

$2.25 LKR 745

41.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 COP 24.2K

$3.08 LKR 1,019

147.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 COP 2,897

$1.63 LKR 539

-44.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 COP 3,866

$0.58 LKR 191

110.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,823

$0.77 LKR 255

97.40%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 6,836

$1.72 LKR 571

25.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 COP 16.2K

$13.97 LKR 4,627

-63.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.67 COP 56.0K

$4.79 LKR 1,587

268.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.79 COP 21.5K

$7.41 LKR 2,455

-8.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,823

$6.54 LKR 2,168

-67.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 COP 3,031

$0.80 LKR 267

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.65 COP 2,047

$4.28 LKR 1,417

-84.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 COP 5,804

$1.29 LKR 427

41.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 COP 3,931

$1.00 LKR 331

24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 COP 3,055

$0.77 LKR 256

24.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 COP 3,911

$0.89 LKR 296

38.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 COP 3,052

$0.42 LKR 140

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 COP 16.3K

$10.30 LKR 3,413

-50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.50 COP 39.6K

$12.90 LKR 4,274

-3.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 COP 4,855

$1.91 LKR 633

-19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 COP 15.1K

$2.93 LKR 969

62.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,753

$0.19 LKR 63.9

521.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.27 LKR 2,407

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 COP 10.9K

$0.41 LKR 135

734.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 COP 9,743

$0.37 LKR 123

729.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.45 COP 49.0K

$0.92 LKR 305

1579.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 COP 4,178

$1.34 LKR 445

-1.49%

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

$22.3K COP 70.8M

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

-38.59%

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

$29.3K COP 93.0M

$39.8K LKR 13.2M

-26.29%

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

$149 COP 473.8K

$59.0 LKR 19.5K

153.43%

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

$14.84 COP 47.0K

$4.37 LKR 1,446

239.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.41 COP 102.8K

$20.37 LKR 6,748

59.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.30 COP 108.8K

$13.72 LKR 4,545

150.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.64 LKR 1,868

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 COP 14.5K

$4.46 LKR 1,476

2.47%

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

$317 COP 1.0M

$38.30 LKR 12.7K

727.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,749 COP 15.1M

$1,211 LKR 401.2K

292.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 COP 362.0K

$18.16 LKR 6,016

528.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.68 COP 151.2K

$16.76 LKR 5,550

184.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$189 COP 600.2K

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

140.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$252 COP 797.8K

$42.33 LKR 14.0K

494.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 COP 2.5M

$578 LKR 191.3K

34.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 COP 1.6M

$277 LKR 91.8K

78.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 COP 2.5M

$1,495 LKR 495.3K

-46.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 COP 2.8M

$433 LKR 143.4K

102.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,843 COP 5.8M

$3,668 LKR 1.2M

-49.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$641 COP 2.0M

$1,167 LKR 386.7K

-45.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$506 COP 1.6M

$259 LKR 85.9K

95.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

-21.20%

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

Last update for Barranquilla: October 11, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barranquilla

$495 33.6%

Colombo

$277 34.4% 44% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Barranquilla

$271 18.4%

Colombo

$70 8.7% 74.1% $201

Groceries & Markets

Barranquilla

$253 17.2%

Colombo

$236 29.3% 6.7% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barranquilla

$197 13.4%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 57.4% $113

Eating Out

Barranquilla

$191 12.9%

Colombo

$106 13.1% 44.5% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Barranquilla

$43 3%

Colombo

$23 2.8% 47.9% $21

Getting Around

Barranquilla

$24 * 1.6%

Colombo

$10 1.3% 56.2% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $777 in Barranquilla versus $578 in Colombo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 95% higher in Barranquilla, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Barranquilla versus $25.00 in Colombo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $236 – making Colombo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Barranquilla

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

02:44 2:44 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Barranquilla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,327,209

753,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barranquilla Colombo 16,570 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Barranquilla
Colombo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Barranquilla vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barranquilla costs about 83% more than Colombo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,209 per month in Barranquilla and $1,208 in Colombo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Colombo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,473 in Barranquilla and $805 in Colombo. That's a gap of about 83%.

Kindergarten costs $317 per month in Barranquilla and $38.30 in Colombo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Colombo, where all-in costs run around $805, than in Barranquilla at $1,473. In Colombo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barranquilla it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Colombo costs $805 versus $1,473 in Barranquilla. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Colombo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barranquilla makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.