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: $828 in Chapeco versus $710 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,304 in Chapeco versus $1,148 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,780 in Chapeco versus $1,587 in Colombo.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 R$27.59

$4.11 LKR 1,299

35.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.75 R$173

$24.62 LKR 7,792

41.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 R$26.66

$8.30 LKR 2,627

-35.42%

Cappuccino

$1.78 R$8.83

$2.70 LKR 856

-34.07%

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

$0.69 R$3.45

$0.68 LKR 216

1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.45

$0.37 LKR 117

86.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 R$7.09

$2.29 LKR 725

-37.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R$10.82

$3.37 LKR 1,067

-35.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 R$4.61

$1.69 LKR 535

-44.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R$5.21

$0.52 LKR 166

101.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.11

$0.82 LKR 258

50.00%

Eggs

$1.63 R$8.11

$2.15 LKR 679

-24.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 R$39.76

$14.21 LKR 4,498

-43.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.31 R$36.34

$4.63 LKR 1,465

57.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 R$36.85

$7.80 LKR 2,470

-5.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R$10.27

$7.60 LKR 2,405

-72.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.28

$1.10 LKR 349

-3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 R$5.96

$5.96 LKR 1,886

-79.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.18

$1.20 LKR 379

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.64

$1.10 LKR 349

-15.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.44

$1.43 LKR 452

-23.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 R$3.46

$1.18 LKR 374

-40.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$0.56 LKR 176

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 R$11.78

$9.90 LKR 3,134

-76.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$49.48

$12.58 LKR 3,982

-20.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.00

$2.08 LKR 658

-41.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R$10.04

$2.99 LKR 946

-32.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 R$3.89

$0.16 LKR 49.35

387.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.60 R$192

$4.93 LKR 1,559

682.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.22

$0.39 LKR 122

169.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R$3.71

$0.35 LKR 112

114.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.47 R$32.14

$0.60 LKR 190

978.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.34

$1.25 LKR 396

-13.60%

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

$21.3K R$105.7K

$26.4K LKR 8.3M

-19.30%

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

$26.3K R$130.8K

$34.2K LKR 10.8M

-23.09%

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

$59.6 R$296

$59.3 LKR 18.8K

0.52%

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

$7.96 R$39.57

$4.29 LKR 1,359

85.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.66 R$87.8

$14.97 LKR 4,737

17.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.48 R$117

$14.33 LKR 4,537

63.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.49 R$161

$7.29 LKR 2,308

345.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 R$32.22

$3.40 LKR 1,076

90.59%

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

$273 R$1,359

$36.52 LKR 11.6K

648.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,540 R$32.5K

$446 LKR 141.3K

1365.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 R$246

$27.17 LKR 8,600

82.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.83 R$208

$19.16 LKR 6,065

118.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 R$372

$70.2 LKR 22.2K

6.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.2 R$324

$38.86 LKR 12.3K

67.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 R$1,405

$378 LKR 119.5K

-25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 R$1,268

$175 LKR 55.5K

45.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 R$2,779

$960 LKR 303.7K

-41.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 R$2,282

$356 LKR 112.7K

28.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,705 R$8,476

$3,614 LKR 1.1M

-52.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,094 R$5,439

$1,232 LKR 389.8K

-11.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$445 R$2,213

$251 LKR 79.3K

77.60%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Colombo: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Chapeco and $378 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chapeco pays 78% 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: $35 in Chapeco vs $25 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $257, 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.

Chapeco pays 78% more on average, 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 $378 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 683% less than in Chapeco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $273 in Chapeco versus $36.52 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 $710 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.