Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Da Nang

For one person, living is cheaper in Colombo: $805 a month against $863 in Da Nang, rent and utilities included – about $700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Da Nang outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
Learn more

Da Nang Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$805

/mo nomad

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$863

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Da Nang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $805 in Colombo versus $863 in Da Nang.

Colombo $805
Da Nang $863

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,211 in Colombo versus $1,404 in Da Nang.

Colombo $1,211
Da Nang $1,404

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,617 in Colombo versus $1,945 in Da Nang.

Colombo $1,617
Da Nang $1,945

Living in Colombo costs roughly 7% less than in Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 40% lower, Da Nang 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 LKR 1,287

$2.30 ₫59.4K

69.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.55 LKR 8,130

$19.62 ₫508.0K

25.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,519

$4.60 ₫119.1K

65.22%

Cappuccino

$2.55 LKR 845

$1.66 ₫43.0K

53.61%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.61 ₫15.7K

11.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.34 ₫8,877

-20.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 745

$1.34 ₫34.6K

67.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,019

$2.36 ₫61.1K

30.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 539

$1.60 ₫41.5K

1.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 191

$1.21 ₫31.3K

-52.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-23.00%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 571

$1.51 ₫39.1K

13.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 LKR 4,627

$12.90 ₫333.9K

8.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 LKR 1,587

$4.29 ₫111.1K

11.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 LKR 2,455

$9.06 ₫234.6K

-18.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 LKR 2,168

$2.73 ₫70.6K

139.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 267

$1.19 ₫30.8K

-32.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 LKR 1,417

$1.29 ₫33.4K

231.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 427

$1.60 ₫41.3K

-19.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.18 ₫30.4K

-15.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 256

$1.33 ₫34.3K

-42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LKR 296

$1.01 ₫26.1K

-11.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 140

$0.53 ₫13.7K

-20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.30 LKR 3,413

$1.56 ₫40.3K

560.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 LKR 4,274

$7.93 ₫205.2K

62.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 633

$0.88 ₫22.9K

117.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 969

$2.12 ₫54.9K

38.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 LKR 63.9

$0.32 ₫8,182

-40.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.27 LKR 2,407

$4.99 ₫129.3K

45.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 135

$1.05 ₫27.1K

-60.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.55 ₫14.3K

-32.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 LKR 305

$19.50 ₫504.8K

-95.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 445

$0.95 ₫24.5K

41.05%

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

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

$30.9K ₫799.2M

17.84%

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

$39.8K LKR 13.2M

$28.0K ₫724.6M

42.11%

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

$59.0 LKR 19.5K

$76.6 ₫2.0M

-23.00%

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

$4.37 LKR 1,446

$6.47 ₫167.6K

-32.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.37 LKR 6,748

$8.08 ₫209.1K

152.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.72 LKR 4,545

$24.98 ₫646.6K

-45.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.64 LKR 1,868

$5.35 ₫138.6K

5.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 LKR 1,476

$3.07 ₫79.4K

45.28%

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

$38.30 LKR 12.7K

$161 ₫4.2M

-76.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,211 LKR 401.2K

$15.2K ₫392.3M

-92.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.16 LKR 6,016

$45.38 ₫1.2M

-59.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.76 LKR 5,550

$27.22 ₫704.7K

-38.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

$100 ₫2.6M

-21.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.33 LKR 14.0K

$80.9 ₫2.1M

-47.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 LKR 191.3K

$529 ₫13.7M

9.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 LKR 91.8K

$349 ₫9.0M

-20.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 LKR 495.3K

$1,053 ₫27.3M

41.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 LKR 143.4K

$811 ₫21.0M

-46.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,668 LKR 1.2M

$3,834 ₫99.3M

-4.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,167 LKR 386.7K

$1,308 ₫33.9M

-10.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$259 LKR 85.9K

$363 ₫9.4M

-28.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

10.72

18.38%

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

Last update for Colombo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$277 34.4%

Da Nang

$349 40.4% 25.9% $72

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$236 29.3%

Da Nang

$201 23.2% 14.9% $35

Eating Out

Colombo

$106 13.1%

Da Nang

$67 7.8% 36.4% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Da Nang

$91 10.6% 8.9% $7.4

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$70 8.7%

Da Nang

$114 13.2% 62.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$23 2.8%

Da Nang

$31 3.6% 37.4% $8.5

Getting Around

Colombo

$10 1.3%

Da Nang

$10 1.2% 2.2% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $578 in Colombo and $529 in Da Nang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Da Nang pays 40% 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 $20.00 in Da Nang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $201 per month, with Da Nang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

05:50 5:50 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

1,245,200

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, 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).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Colombo Da Nang 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Colombo
Da Nang

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 Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Da Nang. 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 40% lower in Da Nang. 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: $578 in Colombo versus $529 in Da Nang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Da Nang pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Colombo – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $20.00 in Da Nang. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $805 in Colombo versus $863 in Da Nang, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Da Nang. 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 $805 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Colombo and Da Nang 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 7% less than in Da Nang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.