Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Barnaul

For one person, living is cheaper in Colombo: $803 a month against $1,008 in Barnaul, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Barnaul
Learn more

Barnaul Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$803

/mo nomad

Barnaul

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Barnaul

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 Barnaul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $803 in Colombo versus $1,008 in Barnaul.

Colombo $803
Barnaul $1,008

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,208 in Colombo versus $1,539 in Barnaul.

Colombo $1,208
Barnaul $1,539

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,614 in Colombo versus $2,070 in Barnaul.

Colombo $1,614
Barnaul $2,070

Living in Colombo costs roughly 20% less than in Barnaul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Barnaul 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 LKR 1,250

$11.36 ₽948

-66.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.25 LKR 8,362

$40.20 ₽3,355

-37.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 LKR 2,519

$5.97 ₽498

27.47%

Cappuccino

$2.58 LKR 856

$2.67 ₽223

-3.37%

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

$0.68 LKR 225

$0.71 ₽59.0

-4.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.6

$0.58 ₽48.64

-56.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 LKR 748

$1.23 ₽102

83.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 995

$1.43 ₽120

109.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 541

$1.07 ₽89.0

52.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 187

$0.62 ₽52.1

-8.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 263

$1.37 ₽114

-42.34%

Eggs

$1.70 LKR 563

$1.43 ₽120

18.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 LKR 4,522

$11.73 ₽979

16.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 LKR 1,604

$4.85 ₽405

-0.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 LKR 2,525

$11.67 ₽974

-34.70%

Apples (1kg)

$6.51 LKR 2,156

$1.96 ₽164

232.14%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$1.77 ₽148

-51.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 LKR 1,487

$2.03 ₽169

121.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 LKR 443

$2.13 ₽178

-37.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 329

$0.83 ₽69.1

19.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$0.46 ₽38.37

78.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 LKR 305

$1.53 ₽127

-39.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.44 ₽36.43

2.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 LKR 3,370

$3.08 ₽257

230.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.69 LKR 4,204

$9.52 ₽794

33.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 LKR 621

$0.95 ₽78.9

96.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 973

$1.47 ₽123

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 LKR 57.9

$0.53 ₽43.98

-67.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.01 LKR 2,322

$25.86 ₽2,158

-72.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 124

$1.58 ₽132

-75.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.46 ₽38.41

-19.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

$6.08 ₽508

-84.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 LKR 454

$0.86 ₽71.7

59.30%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$42.1K ₽3.5M

3.16%

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

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

$38.7K ₽3.2M

6.75%

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

$59.8 LKR 19.8K

$110 ₽9,200

-45.72%

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

$4.36 LKR 1,444

$5.99 ₽500

-27.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.96 LKR 6,942

$8.09 ₽675

159.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.22 LKR 4,710

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 LKR 1,870

$17.88 ₽1,492

-68.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 LKR 1,525

$4.86 ₽405

-5.35%

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

$37.19 LKR 12.3K

$359 ₽29.9K

-89.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,224 LKR 405.3K

$14.3K ₽1.2M

-91.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.18 LKR 6,020

$63.3 ₽5,280

-71.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.85 LKR 5,580

$44.67 ₽3,728

-62.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 LKR 25.7K

$114 ₽9,506

-31.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.83 LKR 13.9K

$99.6 ₽8,310

-57.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 LKR 187.8K

$445 ₽37.1K

27.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 LKR 90.6K

$339 ₽28.3K

-19.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 LKR 498.9K

$673 ₽56.2K

123.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 LKR 140.4K

$523 ₽43.7K

-19.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,742 LKR 1.2M

$2,007 ₽167.5K

86.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 LKR 384.1K

$1,684 ₽140.5K

-31.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$253 LKR 83.9K

$655 ₽54.6K

-61.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

22.83

-44.42%

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

Last update for Colombo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Barnaul: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$274 34.1%

Barnaul

$339 33.6% 23.8% $65

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$237 29.5%

Barnaul

$203 20.2% 14.1% $33

Eating Out

Colombo

$105 13.1%

Barnaul

$155 15.4% 47.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$85 10.6%

Barnaul

$124 12.3% 46% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.7%

Barnaul

$145 14.4% 108% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$23 2.9%

Barnaul

$9.7 * 1% 58.6% $14

Getting Around

Colombo

$10 1.2%

Barnaul

$32 3.2% 220% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $567 in Colombo and $445 in Barnaul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnaul pays 158% 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: $25.00 in Colombo vs $40.00 in Barnaul. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $203, with Barnaul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇷🇺 Barnaul

🕒 Local time

22:26 10:26 PM

23:56 11:56 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

631,124

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Colombo Barnaul 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Colombo
Barnaul

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 Barnaul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Barnaul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 158% lower in Barnaul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $567 in Colombo versus $445 in Barnaul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $803 per month in Colombo versus $1,008 in Barnaul – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Colombo runs roughly 269% less than in Barnaul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $803 in Colombo versus $1,008 in Barnaul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Barnaul. 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 $803 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Colombo and Barnaul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Barnaul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.