Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Bekasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Bekasi: $659 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Colombo, Sri Lanka
Bekasi, Indonesia
Colombo
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$804
/mo nomad
Bekasi
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$659
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Bekasi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Colombo versus $659 in Bekasi.

  • Colombo $804
  • Bekasi $659

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Colombo versus $1,065 in Bekasi.

  • Colombo $1,240
  • Bekasi $1,065

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,675 in Colombo versus $1,472 in Bekasi.

  • Colombo $1,675
  • Bekasi $1,472

Living in Colombo is roughly 22% more expensive than in Bekasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Bekasi 52% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Colombo
Bekasi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.74 LKR 1,243
$2.81 Rp 50.9K
33.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.72 LKR 8,219
$13.68 Rp 247.9K
80.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.60 LKR 2,529
$3.35 Rp 60.7K
126.87%
Cappuccino
$2.45 LKR 814
$1.53 Rp 27.8K
60.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 LKR 227
$0.42 Rp 7,571
61.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 LKR 89.9
$0.22 Rp 3,976
22.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.22 LKR 739
$2.50 Rp 45.3K
-11.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 LKR 1,020
$3.79 Rp 68.7K
-19.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Colombo
Bekasi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 LKR 521
$1.10 Rp 19.9K
42.73%
White Bread (500g)
$0.54 LKR 178
$1.07 Rp 19.4K
-49.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.80 LKR 266
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
-9.09%
Eggs
$1.71 LKR 568
$1.63 Rp 29.6K
4.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.92 LKR 4,628
$9.28 Rp 168.2K
50.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.78 LKR 1,591
$2.86 Rp 51.8K
67.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.46 LKR 2,481
$7.84 Rp 142.0K
-4.85%
Apples (1kg)
$6.40 LKR 2,127
$2.80 Rp 50.8K
128.57%
Banana (1kg)
$0.85 LKR 284
$1.37 Rp 24.8K
-37.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.26 LKR 1,416
$2.53 Rp 45.8K
68.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.33 LKR 443
$1.33 Rp 24.1K
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.00 LKR 334
$1.34 Rp 24.2K
-25.37%
Onion (1kg)
$0.81 LKR 270
$2.15 Rp 38.9K
-62.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 LKR 308
$0.89 Rp 16.2K
4.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 LKR 151
$0.44 Rp 7,986
2.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.33 LKR 3,436
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
279.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.87 LKR 4,280
$21.79 Rp 394.8K
-40.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 LKR 642
$1.90 Rp 34.3K
1.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 LKR 999
$3.12 Rp 56.6K
-3.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Colombo
Bekasi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 LKR 59.4
$0.34 Rp 6,183
-47.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$5.96 LKR 1,983
$10.87 Rp 196.9K
-45.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.40 LKR 134
$0.84 Rp 15.2K
-52.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 LKR 116
$0.43 Rp 7,765
-18.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.94 LKR 312
$2.20 Rp 39.8K
-57.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 LKR 438
$0.80 Rp 14.5K
65.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.4K LKR 14.4M
$21.4K Rp 387.5M
103.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K LKR 13.2M
$32.7K Rp 593.0M
21.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Colombo
Bekasi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$58.9 LKR 19.6K
$63.4 Rp 1.1M
-7.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.20 LKR 1,397
$5.91 Rp 107.1K
-28.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.61 LKR 6,855
$18.51 Rp 335.5K
11.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Colombo
Bekasi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.88 LKR 6,613
$15.63 Rp 283.2K
27.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.81 LKR 1,933
$6.07 Rp 110.0K
-4.28%
Cinema Ticket
$4.42 LKR 1,469
$3.05 Rp 55.2K
44.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Colombo
Bekasi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$38.13 LKR 12.7K
$128 Rp 2.3M
-70.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,214 LKR 403.6K
$8,220 Rp 148.9M
-85.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Colombo
Bekasi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.77 LKR 5,909
$56.6 Rp 1.0M
-68.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.62 LKR 5,527
$31.43 Rp 569.6K
-47.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.8 LKR 25.9K
$77.0 Rp 1.4M
1.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$42.22 LKR 14.0K
$94.3 Rp 1.7M
-55.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Colombo
Bekasi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$586 LKR 194.8K
$201 Rp 3.6M
190.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$275 LKR 91.5K
$131 Rp 2.4M
110.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,677 LKR 557.7K
$460 Rp 8.3M
264.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$490 LKR 163.0K
$359 Rp 6.5M
36.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,636 LKR 1.2M
$590 Rp 10.7M
516.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,158 LKR 385.1K
$888 Rp 16.1M
30.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Colombo
Bekasi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$259 LKR 86.0K
$359 Rp 6.5M
-28.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.69
9.46
34.14%

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

Last update for Colombo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bekasi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Colombo
$275
Bekasi
$131 52.4% $144
Groceries & Markets
Colombo
$235
Bekasi
$213 9.5% $22
Eating Out
Colombo
$103
Bekasi
$74 28.7% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Colombo
$84
Bekasi
$88 4.9% $4.1
Clothing & Footwear
Colombo
$69
Bekasi
$117 68% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Colombo
$29
Bekasi
$22 24.3% $7
Getting Around
Colombo
$8.8
Bekasi
$15 72.3% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $586 in Colombo and $201 in Bekasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bekasi pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25 in Colombo vs $14 in Bekasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $213 per month, with Bekasi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇱🇰 Colombo
🇮🇩 Bekasi
🕒 Local time
11:19 11:19 AM
12:49 12:49 PM
1 h 30 min ahead of Colombo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
753,000
2,334,871
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Colombo Bekasi 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Colombo
  • Bekasi

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 Bekasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Colombo and in Bekasi?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $804 in Colombo and $659 in Bekasi, so Bekasi is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Colombo. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Colombo and in Bekasi?
Rent for a central apartment: $586 in Colombo versus $201 in Bekasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Bekasi – a meal for two runs $14 versus $25 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Colombo or Bekasi?
All in, you’ll spend $804 per month in Colombo versus $659 in Bekasi – Bekasi is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $1,200 go in Colombo compared to Bekasi?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bekasi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Colombo and Bekasi?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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