Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bekasi and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bekasi: $665 a month against $805 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bekasi
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$665
/mo nomad
Colombo
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$805
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bekasi 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 Bekasi and in Colombo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $665 in Bekasi versus $805 in Colombo.

  • Bekasi $665
  • Colombo $805

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,073 in Bekasi versus $1,211 in Colombo.

  • Bekasi $1,073
  • Colombo $1,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,480 in Bekasi versus $1,617 in Colombo.

  • Bekasi $1,480
  • Colombo $1,617

Living in Bekasi costs roughly 17% less than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bekasi 51% lower, Colombo 40% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bekasi
Colombo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.72 Rp 48.9K
$3.89 LKR 1,287
-30.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.10 Rp 253.9K
$24.55 LKR 8,130
-42.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.41 Rp 61.4K
$7.60 LKR 2,519
-55.13%
Cappuccino
$1.47 Rp 26.4K
$2.55 LKR 845
-42.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 Rp 8,309
$0.68 LKR 226
-32.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 Rp 3,940
$0.27 LKR 89.8
-18.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 Rp 43.9K
$2.25 LKR 745
8.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 Rp 68.7K
$3.08 LKR 1,019
24.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bekasi
Colombo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 Rp 19.9K
$1.63 LKR 539
-32.52%
White Bread (500g)
$1.12 Rp 20.2K
$0.58 LKR 191
93.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
$0.77 LKR 255
10.39%
Eggs
$1.64 Rp 29.6K
$1.72 LKR 571
-4.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.52 Rp 171.4K
$13.97 LKR 4,627
-31.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.94 Rp 53.0K
$4.79 LKR 1,587
-38.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.02 Rp 144.4K
$7.41 LKR 2,455
8.23%
Apples (1kg)
$2.74 Rp 49.3K
$6.54 LKR 2,168
-58.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 Rp 24.7K
$0.80 LKR 267
71.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.50 Rp 45.0K
$4.28 LKR 1,417
-41.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.32 Rp 23.8K
$1.29 LKR 427
2.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.34 Rp 24.1K
$1.00 LKR 331
34.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.11 Rp 37.9K
$0.77 LKR 256
174.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.94 Rp 17.0K
$0.89 LKR 296
5.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40 Rp 7,281
$0.42 LKR 140
-4.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.74 Rp 49.2K
$10.30 LKR 3,413
-73.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 400.3K
$12.90 LKR 4,274
72.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03 Rp 36.5K
$1.91 LKR 633
6.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 Rp 56.2K
$2.93 LKR 969
6.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Bekasi
Colombo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.35 Rp 6,217
$0.19 LKR 63.9
84.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.05 Rp 199.0K
$7.27 LKR 2,407
51.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.41 LKR 135
102.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.44 Rp 7,889
$0.37 LKR 123
18.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.26 Rp 40.7K
$0.92 LKR 305
145.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 Rp 15.5K
$1.34 LKR 445
-35.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.8K Rp 375.2M
$36.4K LKR 12.0M
-42.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.1K Rp 578.4M
$39.8K LKR 13.2M
-19.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bekasi
Colombo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.4 Rp 1.1M
$59.0 LKR 19.5K
7.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.94 Rp 106.9K
$4.37 LKR 1,446
35.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.24 Rp 346.3K
$20.37 LKR 6,748
-5.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bekasi
Colombo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.55 Rp 280.0K
$13.72 LKR 4,545
13.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.20 Rp 111.5K
$5.64 LKR 1,868
9.93%
Cinema Ticket
$3.36 Rp 60.6K
$4.46 LKR 1,476
-24.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bekasi
Colombo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$128 Rp 2.3M
$38.30 LKR 12.7K
235.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,333 Rp 150.0M
$1,211 LKR 401.2K
587.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bekasi
Colombo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.3 Rp 1.0M
$18.16 LKR 6,016
221.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.38 Rp 582.8K
$16.76 LKR 5,550
93.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.9 Rp 1.4M
$78.6 LKR 26.0K
-2.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.1 Rp 1.7M
$42.33 LKR 14.0K
122.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bekasi
Colombo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$206 Rp 3.7M
$578 LKR 191.3K
-64.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$133 Rp 2.4M
$277 LKR 91.8K
-52.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$457 Rp 8.2M
$1,495 LKR 495.3K
-69.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$358 Rp 6.4M
$433 LKR 143.4K
-17.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$585 Rp 10.5M
$3,668 LKR 1.2M
-84.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$902 Rp 16.2M
$1,167 LKR 386.7K
-22.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bekasi
Colombo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$366 Rp 6.6M
$259 LKR 85.9K
41.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.46
12.69
-25.45%

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

Last update for Bekasi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Bekasi
$216
Colombo
$236 9.1% $20
Accommodation & Living
Bekasi
$133
Colombo
$277 109% $144
Clothing & Footwear
Bekasi
$118
Colombo
$70 40.4% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bekasi
$89
Colombo
$84 5.5% $4.9
Eating Out
Bekasi
$72
Colombo
$106 46.6% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Bekasi
$22
Colombo
$23 1.6% $0.4
Getting Around
Bekasi
$15
Colombo
$10 33.4% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $206 in Bekasi and $578 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bekasi pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $14.00 in Bekasi vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $236 per month, with Bekasi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bekasi
🇱🇰 Colombo
🕒 Local time
14:59 2:59 PM
13:29 1:29 PM
1 h 30 min behind Bekasi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,334,871
753,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bekasi Colombo 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bekasi
  • 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
Bekasi vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bekasi and in Colombo?
Bekasi and Colombo differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($665 vs $805 including rent). Bekasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Bekasi or Colombo?
Average pay runs 41% higher in Bekasi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Bekasi and in Colombo?
Rent for a central apartment: $206 in Bekasi versus $578 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Bekasi – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $25.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bekasi or Colombo?
All in, you'll spend $665 per month in Bekasi versus $805 in Colombo – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $665 in Bekasi versus $805 in Colombo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bekasi but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Bekasi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Bekasi and Colombo?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: Bekasi or Colombo?
Expats usually find Bekasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Bekasi vs other spots: cost of living compared

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