Cost of Living Comparison Between Chapeco and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Chapeco and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $829 in Chapeco versus $711 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,292 in Chapeco versus $1,144 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,755 in Chapeco versus $1,577 in Colombo.

Living in Chapeco is roughly 17% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chapeco 38% lower, Colombo 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 R$27.82

$3.95 LKR 1,328

39.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.64 R$170

$24.74 LKR 8,317

35.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 R$26.68

$8.21 LKR 2,762

-35.69%

Cappuccino

$1.84 R$9.31

$2.72 LKR 913

-32.35%

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

$0.70 R$3.52

$0.74 LKR 250

-5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R$3.78

$0.37 LKR 125

102.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 R$7.17

$2.41 LKR 810

-41.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 R$11.06

$3.32 LKR 1,117

-34.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.73 LKR 580

-46.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R$5.39

$0.56 LKR 188

89.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.50

$0.82 LKR 275

56.10%

Eggs

$1.64 R$8.30

$2.16 LKR 725

-24.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 R$41.36

$14.29 LKR 4,805

-42.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.17 R$36.28

$4.58 LKR 1,539

56.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.31 R$36.95

$8.21 LKR 2,760

-10.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 R$10.73

$7.68 LKR 2,581

-72.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.51

$1.11 LKR 372

-1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.01

$5.65 LKR 1,899

-78.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 R$7.35

$1.25 LKR 419

16.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.73

$1.10 LKR 369

-15.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.34

$1.43 LKR 480

-26.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.78

$1.18 LKR 398

-36.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$0.61 LKR 204

1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 R$11.97

$9.93 LKR 3,340

-76.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 R$48.89

$12.48 LKR 4,196

-22.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R$6.38

$2.10 LKR 705

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 R$10.32

$2.90 LKR 975

-29.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 R$4.24

$0.15 LKR 51.5

460.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.45 R$194

$4.92 LKR 1,653

681.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.35

$0.42 LKR 141

152.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.64

$0.36 LKR 120

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 R$33.23

$0.57 LKR 192

1052.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.60

$1.19 LKR 402

-6.72%

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

$21.7K R$109.7K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

-19.06%

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

$26.4K R$133.7K

$34.6K LKR 11.6M

-23.65%

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

$60.6 R$307

$59.6 LKR 20.0K

1.69%

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

$8.15 R$41.24

$4.31 LKR 1,451

89.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 R$90.5

$15.04 LKR 5,057

18.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.55 R$119

$14.83 LKR 4,985

58.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.52 R$165

$7.42 LKR 2,495

338.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 R$32.05

$3.38 LKR 1,138

87.57%

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

$266 R$1,343

$37.02 LKR 12.4K

617.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,371 R$32.2K

$446 LKR 150.0K

1327.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.54 R$251

$27.30 LKR 9,179

81.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.75 R$211

$19.33 LKR 6,500

115.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 R$381

$68.3 LKR 23.0K

10.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.4 R$331

$38.01 LKR 12.8K

72.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 R$1,433

$370 LKR 124.4K

-23.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 R$1,316

$176 LKR 59.3K

47.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 R$2,892

$957 LKR 321.7K

-40.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 R$2,325

$363 LKR 122.1K

26.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,680 R$8,497

$3,646 LKR 1.2M

-53.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,074 R$5,432

$1,140 LKR 383.4K

-5.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$435 R$2,200

$247 LKR 83.0K

76.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

16.45

-33.62%

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

Last update for Chapeco: July 22, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Chapeco and $370 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chapeco pays 76% 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: $34.00 in Chapeco vs $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $258, with Chapeco 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

Chapeco vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Chapeco. 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 76% higher in Chapeco, 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: $283 in Chapeco versus $370 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Colombo runs roughly 682% less than in Chapeco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $266 in Chapeco versus $37.02 in Colombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 $711 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 17% less than in Chapeco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.