Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and An Najaf

For one person, living is cheaper in An Najaf: $565 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in An Najaf
Learn more

An Najaf Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

An Najaf

🇮🇶 Iraq

$565

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in An Najaf

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Colombo and in An Najaf actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $804 per month in Colombo vs $565 in An Najaf, rent included.

Colombo $804
An Najaf $565

A couple spends around $1,240 per month in Colombo vs $854 in An Najaf, rent included.

Colombo $1,240
An Najaf $854

A family of three spends $1,675 per month in Colombo vs $1,143 in An Najaf, rent included.

Colombo $1,675
An Najaf $1,143

Colombo costs about 42% more than An Najaf, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Colombo and An Najaf are more affordable than the global median – Colombo 41% lower, An Najaf 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,243

$3.88 IQD 5,856

-3.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.72 LKR 8,217

$19.70 IQD 29.8K

25.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,528

$4.32 IQD 6,528

75.93%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 814

$2.26 IQD 3,416

8.41%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.39 IQD 582

74.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.22 IQD 333

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 739

$3.26 IQD 4,923

-31.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,020

$2.02 IQD 3,055

51.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$0.90 IQD 1,367

74.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.68 IQD 1,023

-20.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$1.31 IQD 1,972

-38.93%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$1.68 IQD 2,542

1.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 LKR 4,626

$3.28 IQD 4,951

324.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,590

$3.43 IQD 5,187

39.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,480

$9.56 IQD 14.5K

-21.97%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,126

$0.97 IQD 1,458

559.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.91 IQD 1,375

-6.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

$0.94 IQD 1,425

353.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

$0.68 IQD 1,029

95.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

$0.56 IQD 841

78.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.61 IQD 919

32.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.58 IQD 877

60.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.49 IQD 743

-8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 LKR 3,435

$1.63 IQD 2,462

533.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,279

$11.93 IQD 18.0K

7.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 642

$1.93 IQD 2,919

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 999

$1.91 IQD 2,892

57.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 59.3

$0.31 IQD 462

-41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.96 LKR 1,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$1.31 IQD 1,974

-69.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$1.31 IQD 1,975

-73.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 312

$5.38 IQD 8,132

-82.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$0.41 IQD 625

221.95%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$12.1K IQD 18.4M

257.38%

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

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

135.28%

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

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

$34.87 IQD 52.7K

68.77%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

$14.80 IQD 22.4K

-71.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,853

$33.39 IQD 50.5K

-38.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,611

$25.35 IQD 38.3K

-21.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 LKR 1,469

$8.44 IQD 12.7K

-47.63%

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

$147 IQD 222.0K

-74.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

$797 IQD 1.2M

52.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.77 LKR 5,907

$15.04 IQD 22.7K

18.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,525

$23.28 IQD 35.2K

-28.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

$60.3 IQD 91.2K

28.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

$41.51 IQD 62.7K

1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 LKR 194.7K

$234 IQD 353.4K

150.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 LKR 91.4K

$125 IQD 188.4K

120.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 LKR 557.5K

$311 IQD 469.6K

439.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 LKR 163.0K

$189 IQD 286.0K

158.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,636 LKR 1.2M

$1,097 IQD 1.7M

231.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 385.0K

$445 IQD 672.6K

160.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$259 LKR 86.0K

$670 IQD 1.0M

-61.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

4.12

208.01%

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

Last update for Colombo: October 25, 2026

Last update for An Najaf: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$275 34.2%

An Najaf

$125 22.1% 54.7% $150

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$235 29.2%

An Najaf

$149 26.4% 36.5% $86

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.8%

An Najaf

$94 16.6% 9% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

An Najaf

$83 14.7% 0.7% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

An Najaf

$63 11.2% 9.2% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$29 3.6%

An Najaf

$42 7.5% 47% $14

Getting Around

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

An Najaf

$9.1 * 1.6% 2.6% $0.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $586 in Colombo versus $234 in An Najaf. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in An Najaf are about 2.6 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Colombo versus $20 in An Najaf. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $149 – making An Najaf the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇮🇶 An Najaf

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

21:47 9:47 PM

2 h 30 min behind Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

1,221,248

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Colombo An Najaf 4,610 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Colombo
An Najaf

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

Colombo vs An Najaf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo costs about 42% more than An Najaf, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,206 per month in Colombo and $848 in An Najaf. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in An Najaf, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $234 there versus $586 in Colombo.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $804 in Colombo and $565 in An Najaf. That’s a gap of about 42%.

Kindergarten costs $38 per month in Colombo and $147 in An Najaf. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in An Najaf, where all-in costs run around $565, than in Colombo at $804. In An Najaf it covers expenses comfortably, while in Colombo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Colombo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $565 in An Najaf to $804 in Colombo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.