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: $827 in Chapeco versus $717 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,292 in Chapeco versus $1,166 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,756 in Chapeco versus $1,615 in Colombo.

Living in Chapeco is roughly 15% more expensive than Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chapeco 38% lower, Colombo 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 R$28.59

$4.13 LKR 1,386

34.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 R$178

$25.16 LKR 8,447

37.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 R$28.03

$8.20 LKR 2,753

-33.66%

Cappuccino

$1.78 R$9.15

$2.66 LKR 893

-33.08%

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

$0.71 R$3.65

$0.68 LKR 227

4.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$3.82

$0.41 LKR 137

80.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 R$7.24

$2.39 LKR 803

-41.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R$10.95

$3.43 LKR 1,150

-37.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.19

$1.73 LKR 581

-41.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R$5.45

$0.53 LKR 177

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.55

$0.83 LKR 277

53.01%

Eggs

$1.59 R$8.20

$2.23 LKR 748

-28.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 R$42.72

$14.02 LKR 4,706

-40.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.24 R$37.29

$4.65 LKR 1,562

55.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.35 R$37.86

$8.01 LKR 2,690

-8.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$11.08

$7.37 LKR 2,474

-70.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.47

$1.12 LKR 376

-5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.95

$5.83 LKR 1,958

-80.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R$7.76

$1.25 LKR 419

20.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 R$4.76

$1.14 LKR 384

-19.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.46

$1.42 LKR 476

-25.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.57

$1.14 LKR 384

-39.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.19

$0.59 LKR 199

5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 R$11.94

$10.01 LKR 3,362

-76.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 R$50.6

$12.73 LKR 4,273

-22.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.22

$2.11 LKR 708

-42.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 R$10.35

$2.97 LKR 998

-32.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 R$4.39

$0.14 LKR 48.61

507.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.03 R$201

$5.09 LKR 1,708

666.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.69

$0.38 LKR 129

189.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.58

$0.33 LKR 110

109.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 R$32.37

$0.60 LKR 202

946.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.49

$1.26 LKR 422

-15.08%

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

$21.9K R$113.0K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

-18.07%

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

$26.7K R$137.3K

$35.2K LKR 11.8M

-24.21%

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

$61.2 R$315

$60.5 LKR 20.3K

1.16%

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

$8.16 R$42.05

$4.27 LKR 1,433

91.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.87 R$92.1

$15.34 LKR 5,150

16.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.24 R$125

$14.79 LKR 4,964

63.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.19 R$166

$7.11 LKR 2,388

352.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 R$32.35

$3.28 LKR 1,100

91.46%

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

$271 R$1,398

$37.28 LKR 12.5K

628.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,479 R$33.4K

$444 LKR 149.0K

1359.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.91 R$252

$27.15 LKR 9,114

80.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.56 R$214

$19.13 LKR 6,423

117.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 R$385

$70.7 LKR 23.7K

5.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.8 R$334

$38.24 LKR 12.8K

69.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 R$1,464

$379 LKR 127.3K

-25.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 R$1,332

$178 LKR 59.8K

45.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 R$2,914

$937 LKR 314.6K

-39.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 R$2,397

$361 LKR 121.1K

29.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,667 R$8,586

$3,724 LKR 1.3M

-55.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,084 R$5,583

$1,189 LKR 399.0K

-8.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$439 R$2,261

$247 LKR 83.1K

77.35%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Colombo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $284 in Chapeco and $379 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chapeco pays 77% 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: $35.00 in Chapeco vs $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $189 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 15% 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 77% 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: $284 in Chapeco versus $379 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 667% less than in Chapeco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $271 in Chapeco versus $37.28 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 $717 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 15% less than in Chapeco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.