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: $999 in Chapeco versus $771 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,522 in Chapeco versus $1,191 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,044 in Chapeco versus $1,610 in Colombo.

Living in Chapeco is roughly 30% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chapeco 27% lower, Colombo 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.83 R$29.87

$4.51 LKR 1,480

29.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.91 R$194

$25.96 LKR 8,518

46.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 R$49.60

$7.80 LKR 2,558

24.10%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R$10.17

$2.47 LKR 810

-19.84%

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

$0.82 R$4.18

$0.70 LKR 228

17.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.21

$0.25 LKR 81.8

152.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 R$7.95

$2.24 LKR 734

-30.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 R$12.43

$3.08 LKR 1,010

-21.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 R$4.40

$1.63 LKR 535

-47.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R$5.79

$0.57 LKR 187

98.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 R$11.02

$0.80 LKR 264

168.75%

Eggs

$1.95 R$9.98

$1.65 LKR 541

18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 R$44.89

$13.08 LKR 4,293

-33.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.68 R$39.34

$4.96 LKR 1,627

54.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.58 R$59.4

$7.27 LKR 2,384

59.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 R$12.97

$6.76 LKR 2,218

-62.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.49

$0.83 LKR 272

28.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.60 R$3.09

$4.17 LKR 1,369

-85.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 R$3.88

$1.29 LKR 423

-41.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 R$4.10

$1.05 LKR 343

-23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 R$2.85

$0.81 LKR 266

-30.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 R$4.79

$0.88 LKR 290

6.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.13

$0.49 LKR 159

65.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 R$12.59

$10.25 LKR 3,362

-76.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 R$48.86

$13.97 LKR 4,584

-31.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$4.75

$1.89 LKR 621

-50.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 R$7.70

$2.78 LKR 911

-46.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.83

$0.17 LKR 56.5

452.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.31 R$196

$7.39 LKR 2,425

418.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 R$7.00

$0.42 LKR 138

226.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 LKR 117

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 288

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.08

$1.33 LKR 435

-10.53%

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

$23.1K R$118.4K

$30.4K LKR 10.0M

-23.89%

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

$32.0K R$164.2K

$41.7K LKR 13.7M

-23.21%

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

$181 R$926

$54.9 LKR 18.0K

229.31%

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

$11.03 R$56.5

$4.13 LKR 1,354

167.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 R$98.0

$20.85 LKR 6,839

-8.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.18 R$129

$14.29 LKR 4,688

76.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.97 R$179

$5.67 LKR 1,859

516.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 R$33.65

$4.33 LKR 1,419

51.73%

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

$37.34 LKR 12.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,223 LKR 401.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.79 R$148

$19.78 LKR 6,488

45.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 R$101

$16.93 LKR 5,556

15.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.05 R$200

$79.4 LKR 26.0K

-50.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.6 R$295

$42.25 LKR 13.9K

36.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$417 R$2,135

$547 LKR 179.5K

-23.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 R$1,745

$248 LKR 81.2K

37.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 R$4,446

$1,575 LKR 516.8K

-44.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 R$2,864

$403 LKR 132.4K

38.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,652 R$8,463

$3,772 LKR 1.2M

-56.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,043 R$5,344

$1,203 LKR 394.7K

-13.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$428 R$2,194

$250 LKR 82.0K

71.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

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

Last update for Chapeco: August 29, 2026

Last update for Colombo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $417 in Chapeco and $547 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chapeco pays 71% 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: $38.00 in Chapeco vs $26.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $237, 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 30% 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 71% 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: $417 in Chapeco versus $547 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chapeco pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $999 per month in Chapeco versus $771 in Colombo – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $771 in Colombo versus $999 in Chapeco, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Chapeco. The gap between the two cities makes Colombo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $771 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 30% less than in Chapeco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.