Cost of Living Comparison Between Barranquilla and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barranquilla and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $850 per month in Barranquilla vs $718 in Colombo, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Barranquilla vs $1,153 in Colombo, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,852 per month in Barranquilla vs $1,588 in Colombo, rent included.

Barranquilla costs about 18% more than Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Barranquilla and Colombo are more affordable than the global median – Barranquilla 36% lower, Colombo 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.79 COP 15.6K

$4.07 LKR 1,366

17.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.41 COP 102.1K

$25.28 LKR 8,492

24.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 COP 23.8K

$8.60 LKR 2,891

-15.00%

Cappuccino

$1.76 COP 5,718

$2.71 LKR 909

-35.06%

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

$0.85 COP 2,761

$0.69 LKR 232

23.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,096

$0.40 LKR 136

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 COP 4,378

$2.27 LKR 764

-40.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 COP 6,132

$3.27 LKR 1,099

-42.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,216

$1.70 LKR 571

-41.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,107

$0.55 LKR 185

129.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,477

$0.88 LKR 295

21.59%

Eggs

$2.06 COP 6,709

$2.14 LKR 721

-3.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.70 COP 15.3K

$13.88 LKR 4,662

-66.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 COP 16.9K

$4.78 LKR 1,606

8.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.15 COP 23.3K

$8.09 LKR 2,717

-11.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 COP 9,330

$7.65 LKR 2,570

-62.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,394

$1.07 LKR 359

26.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,919

$5.84 LKR 1,963

-74.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 COP 2,676

$1.25 LKR 421

-34.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 COP 3,084

$1.14 LKR 384

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,653

$1.36 LKR 458

5.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 COP 2,795

$1.20 LKR 403

-28.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 COP 1,868

$0.56 LKR 190

1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 COP 8,890

$9.99 LKR 3,358

-72.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.25 COP 36.6K

$12.70 LKR 4,266

-11.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,963

$2.09 LKR 702

-56.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 COP 4,346

$2.90 LKR 974

-53.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 COP 2,319

$0.16 LKR 54.7

343.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.39 COP 105.3K

$4.93 LKR 1,657

557.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 COP 6,236

$0.38 LKR 129

405.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 COP 9,614

$0.35 LKR 119

745.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 COP 16.1K

$0.62 LKR 207

698.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 COP 3,262

$1.19 LKR 401

-15.97%

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

$14.9K COP 48.3M

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

-45.32%

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

$22.4K COP 72.8M

$34.3K LKR 11.5M

-34.64%

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

$139 COP 451.9K

$59.6 LKR 20.0K

133.20%

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

$8.09 COP 26.3K

$4.30 LKR 1,444

88.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.84 COP 71.0K

$15.37 LKR 5,165

42.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.43 COP 69.7K

$14.83 LKR 4,984

44.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.66 COP 47.7K

$7.39 LKR 2,484

98.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 COP 13.6K

$3.28 LKR 1,103

28.05%

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

$61.7 COP 200.7K

$36.45 LKR 12.2K

69.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,834 COP 6.0M

$442 LKR 148.5K

315.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 COP 201.5K

$27.73 LKR 9,318

123.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 COP 174.8K

$19.12 LKR 6,425

181.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 COP 260.1K

$69.2 LKR 23.2K

15.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 COP 233.3K

$39.30 LKR 13.2K

82.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$236 COP 765.8K

$368 LKR 123.6K

-35.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 COP 713.8K

$173 LKR 58.0K

27.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 COP 1.7M

$971 LKR 326.1K

-45.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 COP 1.5M

$369 LKR 123.9K

23.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,791 COP 5.8M

$3,586 LKR 1.2M

-50.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$686 COP 2.2M

$1,156 LKR 388.5K

-40.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 COP 1.8M

$251 LKR 84.2K

117.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

-39.21%

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

Last update for Barranquilla: July 13, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $236 in Barranquilla versus $368 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 117% 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 $31.00 in Barranquilla versus $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries tell a different story – $175 in Barranquilla vs $258 in Colombo – so Barranquilla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 18% more than Colombo, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,276 per month in Barranquilla and $1,076 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Barranquilla and $25.00 in Colombo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $850 in Barranquilla and $718 in Colombo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $850 in Barranquilla and $718 in Colombo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Colombo costs $718 versus $850 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.