Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Barranquilla

For one person, living is cheaper in Colombo: $805 a month against $1,473 in Barranquilla, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Barranquilla
Learn more

Barranquilla Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$805

/mo nomad

Barranquilla

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Barranquilla

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

A single person spends $805 per month in Colombo vs $1,473 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Colombo $805
Barranquilla $1,473

A couple spends around $1,211 per month in Colombo vs $2,280 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Colombo $1,211
Barranquilla $2,280

A family of three spends $1,617 per month in Colombo vs $3,087 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Colombo $1,617
Barranquilla $3,087

Colombo is about 45% cheaper than Barranquilla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Colombo sits 40% below the global median, while Barranquilla is 9% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 LKR 1,287

$9.26 COP 29.4K

-57.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.55 LKR 8,130

$62.6 COP 198.5K

-60.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,519

$14.02 COP 44.5K

-45.79%

Cappuccino

$2.55 LKR 845

$2.73 COP 8,664

-6.59%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$1.33 COP 4,230

-48.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$1.27 COP 4,016

-78.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 745

$3.19 COP 10.1K

-29.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,019

$7.63 COP 24.2K

-59.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 539

$0.91 COP 2,897

79.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 191

$1.22 COP 3,866

-52.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$1.52 COP 4,823

-49.34%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 571

$2.16 COP 6,836

-20.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 LKR 4,627

$5.11 COP 16.2K

173.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 LKR 1,587

$17.67 COP 56.0K

-72.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 LKR 2,455

$6.79 COP 21.5K

9.13%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 LKR 2,168

$2.15 COP 6,823

204.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 267

$0.96 COP 3,031

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 LKR 1,417

$0.65 COP 2,047

558.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 427

$1.83 COP 5,804

-29.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.24 COP 3,931

-19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 256

$0.96 COP 3,055

-19.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LKR 296

$1.23 COP 3,911

-27.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 140

$0.96 COP 3,052

-56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.30 LKR 3,413

$5.15 COP 16.3K

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 LKR 4,274

$12.50 COP 39.6K

3.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 633

$1.53 COP 4,855

24.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 969

$4.76 COP 15.1K

-38.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 LKR 63.9

$1.18 COP 3,753

-83.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.27 LKR 2,407

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 135

$3.42 COP 10.9K

-88.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$3.07 COP 9,743

-87.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 LKR 305

$15.45 COP 49.0K

-94.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 445

$1.32 COP 4,178

1.52%

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

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

$22.3K COP 70.8M

62.83%

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

$39.8K LKR 13.2M

$29.3K COP 93.0M

35.67%

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

$59.0 LKR 19.5K

$149 COP 473.8K

-60.54%

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

$4.37 LKR 1,446

$14.84 COP 47.0K

-70.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.37 LKR 6,748

$32.41 COP 102.8K

-37.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.72 LKR 4,545

$34.30 COP 108.8K

-60.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.64 LKR 1,868

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 LKR 1,476

$4.57 COP 14.5K

-2.41%

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

$38.30 LKR 12.7K

$317 COP 1.0M

-87.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,211 LKR 401.2K

$4,749 COP 15.1M

-74.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.16 LKR 6,016

$114 COP 362.0K

-84.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.76 LKR 5,550

$47.68 COP 151.2K

-64.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

$189 COP 600.2K

-58.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.33 LKR 14.0K

$252 COP 797.8K

-83.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 LKR 191.3K

$777 COP 2.5M

-25.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 LKR 91.8K

$495 COP 1.6M

-43.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 LKR 495.3K

$802 COP 2.5M

86.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 LKR 143.4K

$878 COP 2.8M

-50.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,668 LKR 1.2M

$1,843 COP 5.8M

99.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,167 LKR 386.7K

$641 COP 2.0M

82.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$259 LKR 85.9K

$506 COP 1.6M

-48.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

26.90%

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

Last update for Colombo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Barranquilla: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$277 34.4%

Barranquilla

$495 33.6% 78.4% $217

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$236 29.3%

Barranquilla

$253 17.2% 7.2% $17

Eating Out

Colombo

$106 13.1%

Barranquilla

$191 12.9% 80.2% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Barranquilla

$197 13.4% 135% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$70 8.7%

Barranquilla

$271 18.4% 287% $201

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$23 2.8%

Barranquilla

$43 3% 91.9% $21

Getting Around

Colombo

$10 1.3%

Barranquilla

$24 * 1.6% 128% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $578 in Colombo versus $777 in Barranquilla. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 95% higher in Barranquilla, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Colombo versus $63.0 in Barranquilla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $253 – making Colombo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇨🇴 Barranquilla

🕒 Local time

03:27 3:27 AM

16:57 4:57 PM

10 h 30 min behind Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

1,327,209

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Colombo Barranquilla 16,570 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Colombo
Barranquilla

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 Barranquilla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barranquilla costs about 83% more than Colombo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,208 per month in Colombo and $2,209 in Barranquilla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Colombo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $805 in Colombo and $1,473 in Barranquilla. That's a gap of about 83%.

Kindergarten costs $38.30 per month in Colombo and $317 in Barranquilla. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Colombo, where all-in costs run around $805, than in Barranquilla at $1,473. In Colombo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barranquilla it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Colombo costs $805 versus $1,473 in Barranquilla. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Colombo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barranquilla makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.